


The Ruins

by In_Dreams



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Action/Adventure, Anal Sex, Bisexual Male Character, Explicit Sexual Content, Exploration, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Happy Ending, Legends, Light Angst, M/M, Male Slash, Multi, Mystery, Oral Sex, Polyamory, Romance, Threesome - F/M/M, Treasure Hunting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-16 13:32:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 60,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28582797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/In_Dreams/pseuds/In_Dreams
Summary: After years of effort, Hermione’s research turns up the location of a mythical treasure―but she isn’t alone in the hunt. She has the expertise; they have the expedition. They’re all about to find more than they bargained for. Draco/Hermione/Theo polyfic.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Theodore Nott, Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy/Theodore Nott, Hermione Granger/Theodore Nott
Comments: 416
Kudos: 577
Collections: Good Girl Hermione





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> _Author's Note:_ Hi everyone! This is my first polyamory fic and I'm excited to share. Please mind the tags―this story will contain M/M, M/F, and M/M/F smut of an explicit nature. If that isn't your thing, this probably isn't the right story for you :) Otherwise, I hope you enjoy! This story is completely written and will be shared in 14 installments with updates every 5-6 days.
> 
> A massive thank you to Curly_Kay and ravenslight, for being my alpha and beta on this story respectively.
> 
> _Disclaimer:_ This story is fan-created content and I own no part of the Harry Potter franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

On a dreary Thursday morning in early April, Hermione Granger's world turned over.

She had come to accept three constants in life: that her parents' memories would likely never be jarred thoroughly enough for them to remember her; that Harry Potter would always be her best friend no matter what else happened in their lives; and that her search for the Ruins of Artakai would never be fully realised.

In fact, her research on the matter was so theoretical she had long regarded it as a means to simply blow off steam when the rest of her magical documentation became so entangled with itself that she didn't know which way was up.

So when she startled awake in the middle of the night to an array of instruments whirring and hissing in the sitting-room-turned-laboratory of her small flat, she set out to quadruple-check the algorithm to determine where the error had been.

As it turned out, after six cups of coffee over eight hours of double checks and second looks, the error had been in her own fallacious judgement of herself.

The formulaic scouring of the earth in its entirety―because Merlin knew hidden treasure had no right to be specific in its locale―had come back with a hit. And not only that, but each of her subsequent manual checks had stirred the same results.

Hermione couldn't believe it.

Over the course of the following weeks, through countless consultations and methodical cross-checks, she completed a report she had never expected to see come to fruition.

Growing up, Hermione had never fancied herself a treasure hunter.

Even now, she was a researcher first and foremost―according to many of her colleagues, one of the best―but she couldn't deny the thrill that embedded a seed of hope in the heart and soul of her being. An old, forgotten longing from her childhood that seeped now into her mind as an adult.

A desire for exploration and adventure―the dreamer's spirit in her that had read of pirates and princesses and massive ships crashing down on the waves at high tide. Wooden chests full of gold and jewels and buried beneath a giant X painted on the sand.

Only this treasure had been a little less obvious to find―and significantly more tedious to reveal.

As the days passed, the idea grew and strengthened within her to the point where she simply needed to know.

To travel to the point where the algorithm had noted and to see for herself.

She hadn't left England in over eight years―since just shortly after the war, when she had spent six months abroad before returning home to pursue her career. 

And as she surveyed the piles of parchment strewn across every surface in her flat, she released a breath.

Hermione would be leaving home, and by the looks of it, she would have her hands full.

* * *

"Did you see this?" Draco Malfoy swept a hand through his loose hair. A furrow arched his brows as he propped his face in one hand, elbow resting on the kitchen table. His eyes darted over the fine newsprint of  _ The Daily Prophet _ , scanning an article on the seventh page for the third time. "Bollocks, right?"

"Total bollocks." Theodore Nott slumped into the next seat, snagging a leftover slice of toast from Draco's plate. He leaned his seat back precariously, propping his feet on the junction of the table legs.

If Draco wanted to, he could kick the feet of Theo's chair and send him sprawling to the floor. It wouldn't be the first time.

Shaking his head, he turned back to the article. A half-drunk cup of cold coffee―black, two sugar―sat on its saucer before him. "It doesn't make any sense."

Theo scoffed, peeling the crusts from his toast. "Of course it doesn't. Didn't you see who  _ discovered _ the load of shite?"

"Yeah." Draco clicked his tongue, pursed his lips, and scrubbed at his tired eyes. "You're probably right. Though truth be told, the only reason I wondered at the validity of it at all was  _ because _ of who discovered it."

"Since when do you take the word of Hermione Granger to mean anything?" Theo flashed him a slow, lazy grin, his hazel eyes indolent as they swivelled to Draco's. "Swot can have the rest of the wizarding world bowed at her feet, but I've never pegged you for the type."

A bark of laughter chased from Draco's lips. "That I am not." He folded the newspaper and tossed it aside, finishing the last of his cold coffee with a grimace. "Call me crazy, but the idea of  _ buried treasure _ possesses a modicum of intrigue."

Theo's eyes flashed, his lips curling with a sinful smile. "You're fucking crazy, but we already knew that. And the only treasure that  _ intrigues _ me is in your pants."

When Theo leaned forward in a sudden movement and dipped a hand beneath the waistband of Draco's pajama trousers, fingers wrapping around his cock, any and all thoughts of buried treasure flew from Draco's mind.

* * *

As Theo slipped through the doorway of the penthouse flat he shared with Draco, kicking the door shut behind him, he froze.

Draco sat perched on the edge of the sofa, hair dishevelled and designer glasses on the end of his nose, a mess of books and papers spread around him.

"Let me guess," Theo huffed, dropping his groceries onto the granite-topped island in the kitchen before wedging himself into a small space on one end of the sofa that wasn't buried. "You're still on about this treasure thing, aren't you?"

Thinning his lips with a grimace and gaze remaining on his book, Draco sighed. "I might be."

Idly bemused, Theo pinched the nearest sheet of parchment between his fingers, peering at Draco's tidy scrawl. "Don't tell me you plan to run off to this island and―what do you even know about hunting treasure anyhow?"

"Nothing.  _ Yet _ ." The animation that flared in Draco's eyes stirred amusement, and Theo chuckled, bracing himself for a standard issue Malfoy tirade. " _ But _ I've been looking into Granger's research, and  _ all _ the credible sources in her field concur that what she's found has potential. It could be this"―he waved a flippant hand at the stack of  _ Daily Prophet _ issues hanging off one corner of the coffee table―"Ruins of Artakai."

Theo released a breath, leaning back in his seat. "I do love it when you get riled up."

At last Draco's eyes slid towards him, lips curling with a smirk. "Only because it usually benefits you."

"Always," Theo corrected. "Always benefits me."

Draco jabbed an elbow into his ribs, harder than Theo expected, and he winced as he rubbed at the spot. "Prick."

" _ Anyway _ ," Draco pressed on, turning back to the chaos that had once been their sitting room, "the point is, Theo, that we could go after this. What have we got to lose?"

"Other than money, time, and what little sanity you have left?" Theo teased, then shrugged. "Fuck all." As Draco's words registered, he ducked his chin. "You don't mean _ with _ Granger's expedition."

When Draco's gaze landed on his, the grey in his irises stormy and dark, Theo felt the significance of his stare. "As far as I can tell," Draco said delicately, "Granger doesn't even  _ have  _ an expedition. She doesn't have the money to mount anything to the scale of what we could." His lips twitched, voice dropping to a whisper. "I'm not going to help her find this treasure―I'm going to go after it and claim it for myself."

A smile curled Theo's lips as he spoke, even as he shook his head slowly.

"Draco Malfoy wants, Draco Malfoy gets―isn't that it?"

Draco's smile widened into something wicked and delicious as he threaded his fingers into the hair at the back of Theo's head, tugging just enough to sting. "You know that's it." He ducked in, lips drifting along Theo's pulse towards his ear. "Are you coming with me or not?"

"Of course I'm coming," Theo scoffed, a shiver chasing down the length of his spine as Draco's tongue dipped into his ear. "And I'll do you one better―I know exactly where we're going to get the funding to mount our own expedition. And it's going to blow Granger's out of the water."

When Draco's eyes met his again, anticipation dancing in his stare, he murmured a soft, "I knew I kept you around for a reason."

"Many reasons," Theo corrected, the words muffled when Draco's lips caught his.

* * *

"Hermione." Harry folded his arms across his chest, shaking his head. "Please tell me you aren't going through with this. Have you even thought of all the―never mind, scratch that; of course you have―but this doesn't sound even remotely safe." 

Fixing her oldest friend with a disapproving stare, Hermione frowned. "Of course I have―and it's going to be a little touch and go, I'll admit, but there isn't a lot in the way of public funding for something as speculative as this. But I've mapped everything out, and it’s going to be as safe as I can manage."

As he swept a hand through his messy hair, Harry released a long sigh. "I wish I could send an Auror detail along with you, but you know Robards would never approve of a mission like this. For a host of reasons. Where are you going, anyway?"

"A little island in the Atlantic, not far out from the Caribbean sea." Hermione scrounged in her pocket for a map, and Harry's lips twitched with a smile as she unfolded the cumbersome page. "It's called Masani."

"Never heard of it."

"Well, it's not even charted on most maps, so I'm not surprised."

With another loud, irritated sigh, Harry snatched the map from her hands and folded it back into a tidy square. "There won't be any talking you out of this, will there?"

As she met his vibrant green eyes, Hermione softened. "Not even a little."

Defeated, Harry released a breath through his nose. "Then I'll simply tell you to be careful. Take more than you need and be prepared for any eventuality." He rolled his eyes. "Of course you know all this. I wouldn't be standing here without your preparations during the war. Just promise me you're going to come home safe and in one piece."

"I promise."

Harry looped an arm around her back, dragging her close, and Hermione melted into his reassuring presence. "Then I'll see you soon―and you'll tell me all about it. Privately, I'm a little jealous my adventuring days are over."

His eyes sparkled when she drew back. "See you soon."

* * *

Travelling to her destination was the easy part. After pulling some strings with Kingsley, Hermione was able to secure a series of International Portkeys, including the overseas transport that would bring her onto the larger neighbouring island to the one that had popped up in the algorithms.

According to her research, it was uninhabited but for the wilderness that consumed it, half rocky coastline and the rest lush rainforest.

The nearest accessible port where she could find supplies and information was an island to the southwest called Anguilla. A small island in the Lesser Antilles, the benefit to landing on Anguilla was that it was British territory.

From there, Hermione would hire a boat to transport her to the isle of Masani.

The tricky part would be to dismantle the protective wards that were said to have encased the treasure some countless years ago by the paranoid and greedy King Artakai who sought to protect his wealth. The protective magic was the reason no one had ever located the ruins before―and the reason Hermione had never expected to find it herself.

She knew plenty about dismantling magical wards―it was a significant part of her research after all―but the specifics about this particular magic remained unknown. The best thing she could do was to come face to face with the wards themselves and see what she could do about them.

Artakai's magic was both ancient and obscure, from everything she had heard of the mythical treasure.

Nerves began to creep in by the time she had finished preparing for the trip, but by then it was too late. Hermione had spent weeks preparing for the expedition, and she had no interest in backing down.

Not in the face of such a discovery―simultaneously magical, scientific, and historical in nature.

So she adjusted her hat atop her hair, shouldered her pack―complete with an undetectable extension charm―and as a smile curled her lips, activated the first Portkey.

After the fourth Portkey landed, her head spinning a little, Hermione felt warm air sweep across her face where the rainy chill of London had lingered minutes before. Per the specifications of the final Portkey, she had landed in a small residential district in Anguilla, a short walk from the local hub of tourist energy.

She was to meet with her guide, Ernesto, to coordinate the rest of the details. Although the man was a Muggle, he knew the region better than Hermione could ever hope to, and in their initial consultations, he had asked few questions beyond their negotiations of price.

And Hermione intended her purpose as covert as possible while abroad.

Within minutes of walking, she shrugged out of her thin coat and stowed it in her pack, the sweltering Caribbean sun beaming down from a cloudless sky.

Checking her watch, Hermione edged onto a busier street, a bustle of merchants selling their wares mixed with the bright, joyous laughter of the island's ubiquitous visitors.

Hermione located the meeting point, and when she couldn’t spot her contact, she sank down onto a bench, grimacing when the warm metal of it stung her bare legs below her shorts. Sipping from a bottle of water, she observed as people paced the streets.

A pair of men walked by in casual clothes and dark sunglasses, and Hermione did a double-take at the shade of platinum blond one of the men sported. It was an unusual shade, and she hadn't seen anyone with such bright hair―almost white―since the last time she had come across Draco Malfoy in Diagon Alley.

But her eyes lingered and then widened, and her lips fell open in surprise.

The man he was with was distinctly familiar, and when Hermione allowed her eyes to drift back to the blond, she swallowed. It  _ was _ Draco Malfoy.

Of all the miserable, unfortunate timing―

Hermione ducked her head when they turned towards her, obviously feeling her gaze, and she cursed under her breath. The last thing she wanted to do while abroad was to interact with none other than Draco Malfoy and Theodore Nott.

She glanced up, hoping to find they had simply carried on, only for dismay to sink in. They were walking straight towards her.

Not only that, but she watched, incredulous, as Malfoy took a seat on the bench to one side of her and Nott on the other.

"Granger," Malfoy drawled, lifting a pale brow, "what a bloody surprise. Isn't this a surprise, Theo?"

"Totally surprising," Nott concurred. "It's almost as if this were an arranged meeting rather than a random encounter, the chance of the three of us all ending up on this exact island on  _ this exact day _ ."

His facetious tone spiked Hermione's guard, and she narrowed her eyes as she looked between them. The fact that they had her surrounded left her distinctly on edge. "What are you doing here?" she asked, attempting to infuse the words with flippant disdain. "Trust fund holiday?"

Malfoy smirked. "Something like that." He propped an elbow on the back of the bench, turning to face her, and Hermione cast him a sidelong glance. "And what brings you to this fine tropical island?"

Hermione didn't trust either of them even in the slightest―and the  _ Prophet _ had already been looser with the discovery than she had intended―but even as the thought flitted through the back of her mind, her stomach sank.

Thinning her lips, she looked to Nott on her other side, who observed her with a sort of careless bemusement.

"I'm here in a working capacity," she bit out at last. "And in fact, I have a meeting shortly so if you don't mind―"

"Working," Malfoy drawled, causing her gaze to swivel again. He dropped his voice to little more than a breath. "You mean you're going after the lost Ruins of Artakai."

Hermione's blood went cold. "What do you know about the ruins?"

The slow smile that spread across Malfoy's face, flashing his perfectly straight, white teeth, set her every nerve alight, as though he were a predator and she his prey. Nott still watched on, mildly amused by the exchange.

Malfoy reached for a curl fallen loose from her messy bun, coiling it around his finger, and Hermione flinched away. But Nott sat so close on her other side that in her attempt to escape Malfoy, her thigh nudged against his. She stiffened on the spot, about to stand and walk away from both of their intrusive presences.

"We know," he drawled, "more than you'd probably like us to know, rest assured." Malfoy's pale grey eyes glittered with the sun overhead as he ducked his chin. "And we only thought it fair to let you know that you won't be the only one going after the treasure."

Nott flashed her a facetious grin. "May the best team win."

Despite the threatening undertones, Hermione scoffed and lifted her chin. "I'd wish you luck but you'll never get past the shoreline. I have spent  _ years _ researching the Ruins of Artakai and the magic that conceals them. You'll never stand a chance of getting through the wards, let alone to the treasure itself. You'll both end up a pile of dust carried off on the wind once Artakai's magic is through with you." She released a breath, banishing the mental image that had haunted her for weeks. "So if you'd like to keep living your privileged lives, you're best to run on home now."

Malfoy barked a single, unimpressed laugh. "We didn't come all this way on a naive hope, Granger. You aren't the only one who's done their research."

Hermione scowled between them. The Ruins of Artakai were so obscure that she had been one of only a handful actively seeking them out for as long as she had known of their existence. She was certain Malfoy was either bluffing or exaggerating.

Even if he had done his research on the surface, layers upon layers of nuanced information were involved.

She simply offered a wry smile. "Then don't let me stand in the way of your expertise."

Nott rolled his head to face her along the back of the bench, his eyes peering at her in a way that made her wonder whether he wasn't slightly unhinged. But he only offered her a brief wink. "You certainly won't."

Spotting her guide standing a short distance away, Hermione carefully extricated herself from between them on the bench and slung her pack on once more. "I'm only going to offer you this warning once, because no matter what else, I don't want to see either of you suffer an excruciating death. Go home."

"Thanks for the warning, Granger," Malfoy drawled, stretching his long legs out in front of him. "But Theo and I have a boat to Masani leaving in"―he checked an absurdly expensive-looking watch on his wrist―"ten minutes."

Hermione nodded once, stiffly. "Then I hope you enjoy the assuredly brief duration of your visit to Masani."

Although Malfoy and Nott exchanged a look, neither of them responded or showed any indication that her words had even sunk in. She left them on the bench as she met with her guide, proffering a hand.

"My name is Hermione Granger; thank you for meeting with me."

Ernesto's gaze lingered for a moment on the two men still seated, lounged out as though they hadn't a care, before snapping back to her. "The arrangement is for supplies and transport to Masani. The boat will come back for you tomorrow at this time―and if you aren't there, we will return to Anguilla without you and you will need to make alternate plans to return."

"That wasn't the arrangement," Hermione stated politely. She had spoken on the phone with Ernesto originally but she didn't have a mobile of her own. "I will most certainly need more than one day on Masani."

Ernesto's face hardened. "Understand this: Masani is not a tourist destination. You will be hard pressed to find anyone even willing to take you there, let alone to linger." He glanced around, his stare shifty. "Most don't even care to speak of it. Strange things happen on that island."

Hermione frowned, but nodded. She had wanted to remain inconspicuous, without leaving any loose threads behind, which was why she had meant to arrange for round-trip transport in the first place. Worst case, she would have to attempt an overseas Apparition now that she knew the harbour on Anguilla well enough. If it came down to it, she could craft an unauthorised Portkey and ask the Ministry's forgiveness later. She briefly double-checked the contents of her satchel, pulling out a small pouch for Ernesto's fee, and the man didn't glance at it before stowing it into his pocket.

"Very well," he said. "Your ride will be here in twenty minutes."

Out of the corner of her eye, Hermione saw Malfoy and Nott rise from the bench, shaking hands in turn with another man who had approached them, and then they made their way towards the dock where another boat with an inboard motor waited. She watched a hefty exchange of money, and the man handed over the key.

Narrowing her eyes as the pair of them boarded the boat alone, she turned back to Ernesto with a nod. "Thank you for your assistance."

Malfoy probably didn't even know how to drive a boat anyhow. They'd be lucky to make it out of the bay, let alone all the way to Masani. The uncharitable thought sobered her ire even as she scoffed and rolled her eyes.

They had no idea what they were getting themselves into.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading! xo


	2. Chapter 2

In theory, Draco should be able to drive a boat. Their research had encompassed as many aspects of the trip as they could think of, including the transportation and logistics of it.

He didn't have a license or any of that sort of nonsense, but they had paid extra for discretion.

And now they had a boat.

Which, he was pleased to note, was not the case with Granger, who had evidently only secured transport to the island.

Theo's financiers had been most obliging to throw money at him if it meant he would leave them alone, given Draco’s access to the Malfoy coffers wasn’t what it used to be. And the Nott fortunes had largely been tied up in legal battles with creditors ever since Nott Senior had died in the war. Theo’s father had possessed many expensive proclivities.

As he slipped the key into the ignition, staring at the panel of instruments on the dash, Draco blew out a breath.

"You don't have a fucking clue what you're doing, do you?" Theo asked.

"Of course I do," Draco snipped in return, twiddling a few knobs and peering around. "In theory."

"Theory doesn't mean shite, mate." Sinking into the passenger's seat, Theo watched with a look of amusement on his face. "Honestly, just fucking get it away from all these Muggles, and we'll use magic to steer it. Have you got the map?"

"I do." Draco waved a hand at his pack. "It's in there somewhere. And that's probably the best idea."

As much as he wanted to try driving the boat, he didn't know whether they wouldn't make a fool of themselves in the port. And the last thing he wanted was to show Granger that they weren't as prepared as they possibly could have been. But they'd only had weeks, according to her itinerary that they’d hijacked, before she was due to leave England for the Caribbean.

They'd had to work with what they had.

And in this particular instance, if they could get the boat out of the harbour without blowing it up or somehow ending up on the sea floor below, Draco would be pleased with his learned skills.

After all, he didn't know anything about Muggle vehicles to begin with, and the stakes were too high.

He hit a few flips from a diagram he'd brought, nudging the throttle forward, and flashed Theo a grin when the engine revved to life. A spray of water shot from the back of the propeller, and though it lacked finesse, the boat shot forward into the water towards the exit of the bay.

"Good," Theo drawled, propping his feet up on the dash as he relaxed back in his seat. "Now get us there in one piece and I'll be impressed."

Draco scoffed, turning back to see Granger's small figure disappearing behind them as they travelled farther out.

"Worth it for the look on her face."

"True." Theo hummed idly to himself. "Although it will be astronomically better when we find the fucking treasure and she doesn't." He clicked his tongue several times. "You don't think what she said was true―about the magic and the _dust_."

Rolling his eyes, Draco scoffed. "Of course not. I never saw anything about turning into _dust_ in my research. Typical Granger. She probably wasn't anticipating any competition, so she was trying to scare us off."

"Right."

Draco revved the throttle again, peering through the windshield of the boat as they left the bay and broke into the open sea. "Where's the map?"

"Northeast," Theo said through a yawn. They'd had to rise abnormally early to catch the string of Portkeys that would land them in Anguilla in time to intercept Granger's guide and delay her transportation. "Just follow the compass."

Although he fought the urge to scowl, Draco glanced at the compass affixed to the dash. Out in the open sea, there was little by way of tracking their direction anyway beyond the disappearing island behind them.

Masani was one spit of land in a small string of islands, but Anguilla was the nearest that would have provided them with any proper means of access whatsoever. Attempting to Apparate or even Portkey to such a small, unknown island would almost certainly have dropped them in the middle of the Atlantic.

And Draco didn't care much for swimming.

Or drowning, as it were.

The wind swept through his hair as he sped up the boat with a bit of a lurch, but the cool air was nice against the stifling heat and humidity of the tropics. Draco's pale skin wasn't meant for such abrasive heat, and he wrinkled his nose at the idea of catching a sunburn.

Theo, on the other hand, was naturally more tan.

"You're going to drive us the whole way aren't you?" Theo drawled, checking his watch.

"We aren't in a rush," Draco snickered. "Not _really_. Not if Granger’s boat happens to run into trouble."

"That would be a shame."

They shared a glance.

In truth, Draco was a little nervous about what they would find. All of the locals they'd spoken to had cringed simply at the word _Masani_ , and it left him curious as to the reasoning. But according to the man they'd spoken with to purchase the boat, as the subject of many local myths and legends, Masani had long been regarded as both mysterious and dangerous.

Draco couldn't help but wonder if there was any shred of truth to them.

"So what are we going to do when we land on Masani?" Theo asked, peering at his cuticles. "Set up camp? Hack through the jungle with machetes? Hunt down some poor, unsuspecting beastie?"

With a bit of a chuckle, Draco held up a finger. "No, no, and hell no. We brought enough food to last us several days. We'll have to set up our tent before sundown, but that won't be a priority. If we want to get the jump on Granger―and we do, since she has all the knowledge―we're going to get ourselves situated as closely as we can to the ruins."

"And how do we know where the ruins are?"

Draco shrugged. "It's a miniscule island, Theo. We can probably cross from one end to the other in a matter of hours. It shouldn't be too hard to find some _ruins_ ." Theo stared at him, unimpressed, for several long moments, until Draco fired him a scowl. " _What_?"

"You don't have a clue what we're doing, do you? Maybe Granger was right, and we're boating off to our doom." He glanced up at the sun and released a sigh, dropping his head back over the seat. "At least it'll be an interesting way to go. And away from the fucking English rain."

Draco flashed him a grin. "Granger was _not_ right, and we're going to prove it when we find the treasure before she does."

Theo waved a flippant hand. "What about these so-called dangerous wards?"

"I know how to dismantle wards." Scrunching up his nose, he kicked Theo in the shin. "You could try having some fucking faith in me, you know. Just once."

"I have faith in you all the time, Draco."

"Name one time."

"I'm here, aren't I?"

Draco merely shook his head, checked their bearing on the compass, and increased the throttle.

* * *

The boat Hermione had hired left a lot to be desired, and after several mechanical issues before they'd even left the port, she began to wonder whether the guides would even get her safely to Masani in one piece. Or if her adventure would end before it even started.

The thought that Malfoy and Nott could have already arrived on Masani made her grind her teeth in irritation. Most assuredly, they had seen her discovery in the _Daily Prophet_ and decided to figure themselves treasure hunters.

Never mind. She knew they would struggle even to locate the ruins.

It had taken her algorithms several years running around the clock simply to pinpoint the island where Artakai had buried his treasure, and she had no doubt Malfoy and Nott would simply flounder around in the woods until they had to give up for hunger or dehydration or both.

Meanwhile Hermione knew not only how to search, but what to expect. Vaguely.

They had no clue, and she only regretted that they hadn't even taken a minute to consider her advice because Hermione didn't care to run across either of them dead during her time on the island.

But she wasn't surprised they had simply laughed her off. If the situation were reversed, she probably would have done the same.

Although she'd kept a hold on her wand within her pocket the entire time just in case something went wrong, eventually the boat made its way from the Caribbean sea into the Atlantic Ocean and covered the short distance to Masani.

Unlike Ernesto, the pair of guides that had transported her from Anguilla spoke little English, so Hermione largely sat in silence. She scowled when she spotted Malfoy's boat moored on a rickety dock, its boards halfway rotted and several had fallen out altogether.

The guides appeared unwilling to leave the boat to go ashore, and she saw them eyeing the second boat with hesitant stares, so she merely hefted her pack onto a shoulder and took a precarious step onto a particularly solid looking board.

"Thank you," she announced with a bland smile. "I appreciate the ride."

"Tomorrow," one of the guides said, tapping his watch. "Same time."

Hermione nodded. Although she intended to be deep inland by this time tomorrow, she didn't want to draw unnecessary attention to what she was doing on the island. "Otherwise I'll have to find another way back. I understand."

The two men exchanged another glance, as though they couldn't fathom why she would want to stay any longer than one night, but she slipped each of them some local currency and their faces brightened in an instant.

As she made her way onto shore, she watched while they wasted no time in taking the boat back into the open sea once more.

A frisson of nerves settled within her when she realised she was truly alone, apart from the pair of Slytherins who fancied themselves explorers, already somewhere―likely lost―on the island.

She could only imagine they possessed the shared survival skills of a pistachio.

The idea of the pair of them on an island with her not only left her unnerved, but the thought that she might need to save their arses was irritating as well.

Throwing her pack down on the rocky shore, Hermione sifted through its expandable depths for the items she had kept hidden while on Anguilla. A machete she affixed to her belt, a headlamp, and other assorted survival items she secured to her belt in the event she needed backup beyond her magic.

Although she had packed a variety of dried and non-perishable food items―including several generous skeins of potable water, charmed featherlight―if she stayed longer than a few days, she would need to find something to supplement her supplies. She had also brought several resources on the native flora and fauna of the region. Her pack was loaded with everything she could possibly need to survive the island.

Even with poor skills in tracking, she could see the trampled pathway Malfoy and Nott had set out upon as they left the beach.

For a moment she eyed their trail, wondering whether she ought to follow the charted path. She chewed on her bottom lip, peering at the compass on her belt, and the idea of it left a bad taste in her mouth.

Hopefully by the time she made it back to the beach, they would have given up and returned home.

She turned and went the other way into the brush.

* * *

After several hours of trekking through the wilderness, hacking and slashing with their wands, they came out the other side of the rainforest to a spit of rocky beach on the other side.

Theo was quite certain they had no idea where they were going or what exactly they were looking for, but it would make for a good story regardless. For years he'd obliged Draco's plans and schemes―even the more harebrained ones―but this one was on a completely different level.

But Draco had always been there for him, and he did his best to return the favour. All through his life, Draco had been his closest friend, until he became more.

It didn't mean Theo trusted every one of his plots, but quite frankly that was of little consequence. Because of the two of them, he had an easier time simply going with the flow. And he trusted Draco with his life, which mattered more than anything else.

If they died on this fucking piece of land though, Theo’s ghost would never let Draco's live it down.

They hadn't arrived on Masani until the early afternoon, and after several hours of hiking through brush and trees under the stifling sun, using their wands to clear enough of a path to get through, Theo felt altogether depleted.

He didn't care for the idea of anything in the trees creeping up on him, and they knew the only other person on the island was Granger, so when they emerged onto a patch of shoreline again, no closer to finding any _ruins_ than they had been hours before, Theo scoured the rocky terrain for a good spot to put their tent.

If nothing else, it was an experience, and Theo had convinced Draco they didn't need to bring the most elaborate tent possible.

But it was still far more than the two of them needed, and he drew the hefty condensed form of it from his pack before expanding it on their chosen location.

"Should we make a fire, do you reckon?" Draco asked, sidling up alongside Theo. He stared at the tent, rubbing at the back of his neck as though he meant to say something else. But then his gaze slid towards Theo's. "I'm sure we'll find it tomorrow."

"I'm sure you're right," Theo drawled. "And yes, probably. A fire sounds like a good thing to do in the wilderness. Or so I can imagine."

Draco cracked a grin, slinging an arm around Theo's shoulders. "Same page."

They both flinched at a crackling sound behind them and turned on the spot, Draco's arm falling back to his side.

Granger stood at the edge of the treeline, folding her arms when she noticed them.

"Great," she huffed, leaning against the nearest tree. "I was hoping _not_ to run into you lot."

"Small island, Granger," Draco quipped, "you'd best get used to it. I imagine we'll be seeing a lot of one another―that is, until we find the treasure and leave you here."

Although he snickered, Theo couldn't help but feel a twinge in his gut when Granger's eyes slid to their tent. He wondered why she hadn't been able to dredge up any of her friends to come along with her.

"You're welcome to camp on our beach," Theo said, flashing her a teasing grin. "We can sit around the fire and tell ghost stories."

"Ghost stories are a Muggle construct, Theo." Draco clicked his tongue but fixed his gaze on Granger as well. "But he's right. Safety in numbers and all that. We don't want to see _you_ get eaten by anything in the forest."

Granger surveyed the pair of them coolly. "I think the only thing I have to worry about here is the pair of you."

"If you're insinuating we're going to _hurt_ you in some way..." Theo trailed off, shaking his head at her. "That is not the case."

She still looked between them as though she didn't trust them even in the slightest―and Theo didn't blame her―but she didn't retreat back into the trees. In fact, she ventured forward a few steps, fiddling with the strap of her satchel on one shoulder.

"For the record," she called over her shoulder as she drifted a little further down the coast, "this isn't _your_ beach. You can't just stake a claim wherever you feel like, Nott."

As though choosing a spot, she dropped her pack on the ground and reached her full arm into it to draw out her own tent, significantly smaller than theirs, before setting it up with a series of spells.

Theo merely smirked at her as he walked over to peer into her tent. "It's nice―a little _cramped,_ but I suppose it'll do."

Affronted, Granger scowled at him―her stature was smaller than his own, but he appreciated the tenacity―and bit out, " _It'll do_ just fine because I didn't ask your opinion."

Her eyes flashed with heat, and Theo smiled, biting down on his bottom lip as he stared at her. Dropping his voice, he breathed, "Shame, because I gave it to you anyway."

"Theo," Draco snapped, pacing the shoreline between them, "quit pestering Granger and help me make this fire."

Granger's eyes lingered on his own, the glint of the lowering sun bouncing off her chocolate irises, narrowed though they were.

Ignoring Draco's admonition, Theo said, "I can't help but notice you didn't find your ruins today. I thought you had all the knowledge?"

"It takes time," she huffed, holding her ground firmly. "I never said I would find them right away, just that the algorithm will find them eventually."

"Whatever that means." Theo rolled his eyes. His lips quirked with humour when she continued staring at him as though she had something to prove. "We don't have to be enemies here, Granger."

"Tell that to Malfoy." She jerked her chin towards where Draco had rummaged out a flint and steel, and had begun striking them against one another to no avail. "He seems pretty keen on _beating_ me to the treasure he has no way of locating."

Despite himself, Theo barked a laugh. "Tell him yourself."

For a brief moment her expression faltered, eyes softening, and with the way the failing light bounced off her face, Theo decided she was quite pretty when she wasn't scowling at him.

But she glanced away, peering around him with an exaggerated huff. "You're never going to start the fire that way, you know."

Draco brushed his hands off, rising to his feet. "You do it, then."

Theo flickered his brows, taunting.

"Fine." Granger strode past him, her shoulder brushing his own. When Theo wheeled on the spot to watch, his eyes drifted briefly to the curve of her arse. But she yanked the flint and steel from Draco's hands, and after several strikes, a small spark burst free into the kindling he'd gathered. They both watched as she stoked the spark into a small flame, carefully nurturing it into a decent fire before rising to her feet once more.

She eyed each of them in turn. "I'm surprised you didn't just use magic to start a fire. Neither of you care about Muggle things, and don't tell me that's changed since school."

Draco shrugged, shooting Theo a glance. "Theo wanted this trip to be _authentic_. We're indulging his bizarre sensibilities with a compromise."

"Ah." Granger's lips twitched. "So you're telling me that's a _Muggle_ castle the two of you have built there."

"Don't be ridiculous, Granger," Theo said, shifting a few stumps into place around the fire for them to use as stools. "We're adventuring in the wilderness, not living like peasants."

To his surprise, a bright peal of laughter burst from her lips, and she only shook her head. "This is going to be the strangest experience of my life, isn't it?"

A slow smile dragged across Draco's face as Theo watched the exchange, and he muttered, "You have no idea."

* * *

Considering she hadn't had anything to do with either Malfoy or Nott since they'd been at Hogwarts for their eighth year―and even then, they'd hardly been acquaintances―she hadn't known what to expect in seeing them eight years later. And now, Hermione couldn't help but keep her guard up as the three of them sat around the fire.

She didn't trust either of them not to do anything shady or sneaky, but she also didn't think they would do anything outright malicious like set her tent on fire. There was a small comfort in the thought.

But their presence added a strange dimension to her solo research journey.

As their fire lit up the darkening sky, Hermione found herself observing the pair. They had perched their stumps on one side of the fire, leaving Hermione to her own, which, if she was honest, was a relief.

She sorted some food from her pack to sate her stomach after a long day of hiking through the brush, and they did so as well.

There was an easy, almost unusual camaraderie about them, an intuitive connection between the pair as they spoke quietly amongst themselves. Every so often they involved her in the conversation as well. Her fatigue was heavy, eyelids weary, and she appreciated the temporary peace.

Hermione didn't care to learn more about either of them when they were quite obviously there to deter her from her goal, but she couldn't help the way her gaze lingered. Their logic in camping near one another made sense, and it was the only reason she had decided to set up her tent on the same stretch of shoreline, but she had no delusions that come the morning they wouldn’t be her adversary once more.

The curious air between Malfoy and Nott clicked in the back of her mind when Nott slung an arm around Malfoy's neck, leaning in to speak softly beside his ear. Malfoy's lips lifted with a smile in return―softer and more genuine than she had ever seen from him.

It was _intimate_.

Feeling an intruder, Hermione glanced away, though she couldn't help the stinging of warmth that flooded her cheeks. She was grateful for the darkness that had descended around them and the distance across the fire.

Until she felt eyes on her, and when she looked up again, Malfoy stared directly at her. His smile curled into something more wicked.

"So Granger," he drawled, bringing her back into the conversation. "What brings you this far alone? Surely one of your friends would have accompanied you on such a dangerous voyage as you so claim it to be."

Hermione's jaw clenched. "None of my friends were able to join me. And truth be told, I didn't want to involve more people than necessary."

Nott's gaze landed on her now, and she felt distinctly outnumbered. But something faltered in his stare. "I find it hard to believe this is truly as hazardous as you say."

"Do you?" she enquired, raising her brows. "You don't believe that obscure, mythical magic is cause for concern?"

His jaw squared. "Not if you came here alone."

"Maybe," Malfoy mused, his searing stare still fixed on her. Hermione felt a flicker of warmth that had nothing to do with the fire. "Granger's simply being noble. If she expects to run into trouble with this _mythical_ magic, she doesn't want to drag anyone down with her." He clicked his tongue, shaking his head. "Although I never pegged you for reckless, so that can't be it."

"I'm _not_ ," she huffed. "Reckless, that is."

"That's no fun." Nott's lips drew into a sultry pout as he idly toyed with the hair at the nape of Malfoy's neck, and Hermione's stomach twisted. But she caught the way Malfoy's eyelids fluttered; the way he leaned just _so_ into the touch.

Hermione couldn't remember hearing anything about the pair of them, but they ran in vastly different social circles.

She folded her arms. "In this particular instance, _reckless_ will be synonymous with _dead_. You don't have to believe me, but I'd advise you to take extreme caution if you insist on staying on this island."

"Why don't you just tell us what you think we should know?" Malfoy asked, propping his elbows on his knees and leaning forward. "You obviously think we're going to get ourselves killed."

"Why would she do that?" Nott asked, his gaze drifting to the darkening night sky as he withdrew his hand. "She wants us to run away home and leave the treasure all to her."

Hermione didn't want to admit as much to either of them, but privately she was surprised they hadn't already given up and gone home. Maybe if she weren't there, they might have surrendered this passing fancy.

She surprised herself with a laugh. "It isn't about finding the treasure." When they fixed her with identical skeptical looks, she shook her head. "It _is_ , but it isn't. I've been investigating the Ruins of Artakai for years, even when so many people claimed they were nothing more than legend, passed down through generations, information lost or embellished as it went. So to actually _find_ the ruins―"

"Would validate everything you've done," Nott murmured.

"Well." Malfoy leaned back, clapping his hands together once. "We'll be sure to let you know what we find."

Despite herself, a smile tugged at her lips. "You still don't get it. You aren't just going to _stumble across_ some ancient rock formation or something that will lead you to the treasure as you traipse through the trees. The ruins are concealed beneath layers and _layers_ of ancient warding."

She watched as Malfoy's gaze slid to Nott's for an extended moment, as though communicating in some sort of unspoken method. At last they both turned back towards her, twin smiles on their faces that left her uneasy.

Malfoy smirked and quipped, "Fascinating." He curled his fingers around Nott's shoulder before rising to his feet. Then he drew his wand and cast an admittedly impressive series of spells on the fire―stasis, protection, and warding. Presumably to keep it going through the night without risking it spreading. "I don't know about you lot, but I am _exhausted_."

At the words, Hermione felt her own fatigue creep back in. She sorted a few things back into her pack before standing as well. Making towards her tent, she turned back towards her unlikely company with a stiff nod.

Mind whirring, she prepared for bed and drifted into an uneasy sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I'd love to hear your thoughts so far <3


	3. Chapter 3

Draco glanced at Theo as they walked through the brush, feeling the unruly scrub claw up his legs. With a slash of his wand, he cleared a path ahead. They had slept past sunrise, and by the time they were ready to venture out again, Granger had already gone although her tent remained.

He hadn't wanted to disturb her space, knowing the extent of the warding she must have placed on her tent in the event they tried to sabotage her. But he wasn't surprised she had left their makeshift camp so early.

No matter.

They would find her in no time. And if everything was as she claimed―if she knew how to find the ruins when they wouldn't be able to―they would simply wait.

Patience was a virtue Draco had learned long ago. He knew eventually Theo would grow tired of their expedition, especially if they didn't discover anything soon, but he wouldn't complain.

And Draco had a feeling about this. If Granger was as committed as she appeared to be, the whole mission must have had more truth to it than anyone else realised. Because while she was many things, she wasn't a fool.

The night before, she had unwittingly revealed more than she presumably meant to about their shared mission.

Her loss would be their gain.

A slight twinge of guilt flickered through the back of his mind, even as they trekked on, following the faint thread of a tracking spell. Granger had been reasonably amicable the night before―more than Draco would have expected―and she hadn't put up much of a fuss over them encroaching on her mission.

He hadn't missed the way her keen gaze had followed him and Theo the night before. His lips twitched at the thought.

Maybe the trip could prove more interesting than they'd originally planned. He didn't know enough about Granger or her particular proclivities to say for certain yet.

But he knew Theo well enough to know he was thinking along the exact same lines.

They hadn't even needed to discuss it―Draco had seen it in his eyes the night before.

"There," Theo drawled, and Draco snapped to attention. The brush had thinned enough to see Granger charting a course through the untouched landscape and then come to an abrupt halt. He wasn't interested in alerting Granger to their presence until she found something.

As far as he could tell through the trees, she was staring at the ground beneath her. He felt the shimmer of magic dance on the air and a breath caught in his throat unbidden.

For several anxious minutes, Draco watched, Theo waiting at his side with narrowed eyes, before she carried on. Draco shrugged the tension from his shoulders.

Peering up at the lush canopy above them, Theo huffed a sigh once she'd gone out of earshot. The sunlight streaked through the trees in arbitrary shafts of light.

"I can think of a dozen far more interesting things we could be doing right now," he muttered, shooting Draco a look.

Draco snickered, smacking Theo on the arse. "And you're going to wait for all of them."

Catching his wrist, Theo smirked. "That had better be a promise."

A smile tugged at his lips as he turned towards Theo, slipping a hand back into his hair. "Of course it's a fucking promise." He pressed his lips against Theo's in a lingering kiss, catching his tongue briefly with his own. "And if you're lucky, we might have a special guest."

Theo wrapped his arms around Draco's back, bringing them chest to chest. When Theo kissed him again, Draco allowed himself to indulge for a moment before drawing back.

"Later," he murmured. "We have a treasure to find."

" _You're_ lucky I love you."

Draco flashed him a brief smile and jabbed an elbow into his ribs. "I know I am." Theo's hazel eyes sparkled with hidden warmth. "Come on now or we're going to have to find her again."

* * *

Hermione could feel their presence as she ventured deeper in the brush. As though they didn't realise she knew exactly what they were doing.

She had no intentions of leading them directly towards the treasure. For as long as they trailed her from a distance, Hermione would simply treat her investigations as reconnaissance. It would take a while to locate the precise location of the ruins, and there was no harm in the pair of them trailing along after her like lost puppies if it meant they thought they had an edge on her.

When she heard the rumble of an engine in the distance, she frowned and glanced down at her watch.

She had already known she wouldn't catch her ride back to Anguilla, but she was too far inland now to meet the guides at the opposite shore. And if she Apparated away, Malfoy and Nott would grow suspicious. It was for the best that they thought her ignorant a while longer.

While she had never thought of either of the former Slytherins as harmless, they'd had plenty of opportunities if their intentions towards her were rotten.

A pair of wealthy pure-blood heirs playing at explorers, maybe, but she could only assume the idea would grow old.

A short while later as she carried on in her methodical search, she heard the boat engine rev up again and fade into the distance. Hermione released a breath.

Although she didn't have a phone to reach out when she was through on the island, she was far from stranded. She would find a way off the island; it would simply catch more attention than she cared to draw.

But if she found the lost Ruins of Artakai, it wouldn't matter.

And she hadn't come all this way to fail.

The algorithm was sound, and she simply had to locate the point where the magic had created a discrepancy in the rhythms of the island. Which could take longer than she had hoped or planned for.

If it truly came down to it, she could offer Malfoy and Nott money to get her back to Anguilla on their boat. That was an eventuality she wanted to avoid, however, as she didn't care to owe them anything. 

One of the tracking instruments in her pack faltered and she came to an abrupt halt, allowing it to search the inherent magical waves of the spot for any inconsistencies.

The ancient magical practitioners who had once inhabited the region had left marks of their existence―scars on the magical landscape―and the instruments that had located the island in the first place would find them.

With any luck.

It had simply been a matter of tightening the calibration to a smaller area.

She could hear Malfoy and Nott in the forest not too far away, and she couldn't help a smile. They were strange company to be sure, but it had been years since she had considered either of them a proper enemy.

And if she was honest, there was a strange comfort in knowing she wasn't alone. Even if she wouldn't have trusted either of them to get her out of a bind. If something happened to her, at least someone would be able to tell Harry.

The instrument fell silent; whatever it had detected wasn't significant enough to merit a deeper look.

Hermione paced on.

* * *

Theo clicked a rhythm with his tongue, drumming his fingertips against his thighs as he leaned back against a tree. "This is officially the most bored I have ever been."

"Can you be less dramatic?" Draco hissed, peering through the trees. "You sat through eight years of Binns' classes. There's no way this is more boring than that." He fixed Theo with a stern look. "And just think how exciting it'll be to find the treasure."

Pressing off from the rough bark with his shoulders, Theo sighed. "Okay hear me out―what if Granger's idea of _treasure_ is, like, ancient information and scrolls and... who knows, old rocks and that sort of thing. What if her treasure is utterly useless?"

"It won't be."

"You don't _know_ that."

"Merlin, Theo," Draco snickered, "go back to the camp then if you don't want to stick around. In fact, I won't fault you if you want to go back to Anguilla and entertain yourself. I'm sure there are plenty of things to do there. I'll meet you once I'm through here."

The idea held some merit, and Theo briefly considered it. There was no reason they couldn't enjoy a tropical holiday while they were in the bloody Caribbean.

But if Draco actually found the treasure without him, Theo would never hear the end of it.

So he pursed his lips and blew his fringe out of his eyes. "We're in this together."

Amused grey eyes slid to his own. "Are we?"

" _Yes_." Theo sighed. "Fine. I'll stay for now. But you have to agree that if this little mission goes nowhere within a reasonable time frame you'll give up on it."

"Agreed."

Although Theo could only imagine Draco's idea of a _reasonable_ time frame differed from his own, he let the topic go. Granger had made another stop―Theo had lost track of how many―and they waited a safe distance away.

They both froze, startled, when the scrub rustled and Granger emerged into the small clearing where they had stopped. She folded her arms across her chest and eyed each of them one at a time.

"You know," she said, "if you're going to follow me all day, the least you could do is quit bickering."

Draco's lips curled with distaste. "We aren't _bickering_."

"This is us getting along," Theo contributed. Draco flashed him a grin.

Granger rolled her eyes. "Regardless, you're making me uncomfortable. If you're going to trail along after me until I find the spot, we might as well all stop pretending as if we don't know what's going on here. I feel like I'm being followed around by toddlers."

"Fucking resent that," Theo grumbled. But he glanced at his watch before peering up at the angle of the sun above. "How long do you suppose this is going to take, anyway?"

She stiffened, her face falling stoic. "I don't know. Great things come to those who wait―or did your mother never teach you patience?"

Theo cocked a brow. "My mother's dead, Granger. Died when I was a boy. So, no, she didn't."

The blood drained from her face, and Theo might have laughed aside from the genuine dismay on her face. She thinned her lips and glanced away. "I'm sorry―I didn't mean to―"

"It's fine," Theo clipped.

"Wait until you hear the story," Draco added. Theo pointed a finger at him in agreement.

Granger still shifted on the spot as though ashamed, and Theo glanced away. "You don't _actually_ have to listen to the story, of course. But at some point we should call it a day and get back to the tents."

"I could eat," Draco offered.

Releasing a sigh, Granger scowled at each of them. "You didn't need to follow me all day. It would be less awkward if you _didn't_ , in fact. You claimed you were here to find the treasure on your own, so surely that doesn't require my help?"

But her eyes drifted to the sky all the same, and she released an irritated huff.

"That was before you said we wouldn't be able to find the ruins without you," Draco snipped. "So you've left us little choice."

"Your choice is to leave," she deadpanned.

"Food," Theo interrupted. "And you two can go back to arguing after. Obviously we didn't realise we would need your help, and clearly you don't want us along but you aren't going to do anything about it, so we're all just going to have to accept that this is what's happening right now."

Although Granger looked as though she wanted to argue, she simply frowned at the sky. "Fine. Let's head back in that direction then. But we'll take a different route back."

Theo didn't understand anything about what she was actually looking for―and, if he was honest, he didn't really care―but he brandished a hand so that she might carry on.

Her lips curled with the slightest hint of a smile as she walked off.

* * *

Much like the night before, they found themselves around the fire as the sun set over the ocean beyond, and there was something peaceful about it as Draco gazed out along the horizon. The sky danced with blues and pinks, shimmering off the waves as they gently rolled in towards the island.

Maybe Theo was right, and they ought to have just come for a vacation instead of spending all their time away traipsing through the bush.

Although Granger rummaged through her seemingly endless pack for some food, Theo had picked through the ice box in their tent and selected something fresh to prepare over the fire. Her eyes had lit up at the sight, and the three of them had feasted on hot food and fresh bread before relaxing for the evening.

Idly, Draco wondered how they were so much more prepared than she was. But a tent that came equipped with a proper means of food storage was expensive, and hers clearly wasn't.

He noticed she hadn't relegated herself to the opposite side of the fire as she had the night before, although she still kept a certain distance between them on Theo's opposite side.

After another long, tiresome day of hiking beneath a blazing sun, Draco felt sleep already tugging at his eyelids as he gazed into the bright flames of their makeshift fire pit.

As the night air cooled off, Granger swaddled herself in a hooded jumper, her arms wrapped across her front as she too stared into the dancing fire. She was far less hostile than he remembered, or had even expected, and he couldn't help the way his eyes lingered overlong on her softened expression.

She was fit, if he was honest―she always had been, ever since Draco had been old enough to properly appreciate such a thing. He had noticed girls before he had noticed boys, and even now, nothing about his relationship with Theo was particularly _conventional_.

But it worked for them and a few others over the years. None who had lasted very long, however.

Theo had always been his best friend, since before he could even remember. Draco would never let anything else―or anyone else―come between that, and they had sorted out the rest of the boundaries between them years ago.

Granger's stare flitted up to meet his across the fire, flames dancing in her chocolate eyes, as though feeling his gaze. Her face faltered, brows lowering, but Draco only offered her a smirk.

At his side, Theo stifled a yawn, drawing his attention away.

"Thanks for the food," Granger offered, clasping her hands together. "I have my own, of course but―"

"But dried food is boring after a while," Theo said. She gave a gratified nod and a smile.

"Right." Clearing her throat, she glanced away. "I suppose if you two are going to wait for me to find the treasure regardless, maybe we ought to simply do this together." Her face stiffened. "But I'd like to arrange an agreement."

Theo's head rolled towards his, and he echoed, " _An agreement_ , Draco."

Draco snorted. "What sort of agreement do you want, Granger?"

"The sort where I can rest knowing the two of you won't team up on me," she bit out.

Draco clamped his jaw shut hard to withhold a laugh. It was as though she was simply teasing them.

"I can assure you," he drawled, "if we team up on you it won't be a bad thing. I'd be happy to include that in our little agreement."

Theo barked a laugh.

Granger blinked at him.

Then blood rushed into her cheeks that he could see even with the sky darkening around them. She released a heavy breath and whispered, "That isn't what I meant."

Draco shrugged, glancing up at the sky. "All the same."

"I was referring to the treasure," she said, carefully looking the other direction. "If we find the treasure, I want certain guarantees that you aren't going to take it and leave me here."

"If you don't cross us, we won't cross you." Draco caught Theo's gaze, who only offered a flippant shrug. Negotiations were not in Theo's wheelhouse or interests. "I assume you're referring to some sort of equitable division of whatever we find."

"Something like that." She dragged her bottom lip between her teeth, and Draco watched the movement. "My primary interest is in the academic side of the discovery. But anything of a monetary nature we can split."

"Sounds fair."

Theo spoke up, his lips twitching. "And the teaming up bit? Is that part of it? You two lost my interest with all the rest of it."

A laugh broke from Draco's lips as Granger's embarrassment returned in full force. There was something terribly endearing about it―and surprisingly enticing.

"That was _not_ part of it," she murmured delicately.

Theo released an irritated sound. "Fine."

But a smile lingered on her lips. "How long have the two of you been together?"

Draco glanced at Theo, his brow furrowing with consideration.

 _"Together_ is an interesting word for it," Theo mused with a grimace. "Eighth year? I think?"

"Technically." Dragging a hand across the stubble along his jaw, Draco shook his head. "If we’re trying to put a timeline on it, I guess it started in eighth year, but it took us a while to actually make sense of it. Slytherin dorms after a few too many whiskys."

Her brows shot up. "I didn't realise. That's a long time."

Theo's eyes sparkled in the darkness when Draco caught his stare. A smile lifted his lips. "A long arse time. It's a wonder Theo hasn't driven me spare."

"Who says I haven't?" Theo snorted. "You're _are_ fucking weird, Draco."

To his surprise, Granger laughed brightly, a grin spreading across her face. "Maybe you've both driven each other crazy but you just don't realise it because you're together all the time."

"No." Theo shook his head in concentration. "That couldn't be it."

"I mean, of the two of us, _you're_ the one who―"

Theo jabbed his pointy fingers into Draco's ribs, and he flinched, swatting Theo's hand away.

"As the objective outsider here," Granger muttered, lifting her hands in surrender, "I might suggest that you're both off your rockers." Her face softened a little, and she added, "But you're both far more agreeable than I remember."

"Hear that?" Theo asked, wagging his brows, "Granger thinks I'm agreeable."

"He _isn't_ agreeable," Draco retorted.

Another soft laugh slipped from her lips as Granger clapped a hand over her mouth, her keen eyes darting between the two of them.

To his own surprise, Draco enjoyed the teasing banter between the three of them―and he couldn't deny he liked seeing the warmth in Granger's face directed at him. After so many years thinking of her as an adversary, and then nothing at all, he found he didn't mind her company.

On the rocky ground, Theo's foot pressed against his own, and Draco caught his eye. He recognised the glint he found there and nudged Theo's foot in return. But Theo's hazel eyes fluttered shut for a long moment, and he stifled another yawn.

"I'm going to sleep," Theo announced. "Join me when you're done." His stare flitted to Granger for a brief moment, lips twitching with a smirk. "Whoever wants to."

When Granger tittered again, Draco wondered whether she realised they were actually offering. No matter―if she had any interest, she would know before they parted.

But Granger simply rose as well, casting the same series of charms on the fire Draco had the night before―he observed in silence―before offering the pair of them a bland smile.

"I'm going to get some rest as well. We can finalise the terms of the agreement tomorrow, and if you're both _agreeable_ " ―her lips curled at the word choice― "we'll leave early tomorrow morning."

Draco flashed her a teasing grin. "I'm agreeable." When he only stretched his legs out before him towards the fire, Theo swooped in, planting a kiss on his temple. "I'll be there soon."

"I might already be asleep." Theo wore a secretive smile again as he threw over his shoulder, "Sweet dreams, Granger."

Granger hesitated en route to her tent on the other side of their camp. "Good night, Nott. Malfoy."

"Granger."

They both vanished into different tents, and Draco sucked in a deep breath of fresh salty air. The moon glinted off the gentle current as waves rolled in along the rocks. It was soothing to be so far from London. To breathe the fresh air of a different world.

And he had a good feeling about tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed the chapter xo


	4. Chapter 4

Despite the gravity of the task ahead of them, Hermione couldn't help herself from being distracted the next day. Malfoy and Nott trailed along just out of hearing range as they spoke quietly amongst themselves. The trees were thinner here, and she could largely navigate the area without utilising her magic to disturb the brush.

To her own surprise, she didn't mind having them along anymore. Especially considering her initial impression that they would serve as a hindrance to her mission. And they still could, if she wasn't careful.

But for the time being, it was best to keep them close.

The biggest issue was that their conversation the night before had stuck with her more than she might have liked. She'd slept restlessly the night before, their teasing playing at the back of her mind. While they were obviously together, it seemed as though neither of them possessed any qualms with regards to coming on to _her_ , and her mind had run away with her at the thought.

She couldn't help but consider the possibility. And the instinctively curious side of her desired to know more about the dynamic between them, for them to be so open about such a thing.

All day, their heated gazes had seared through her.

It didn't help that they were both terribly attractive.

It also didn't lend much to Hermione's focus or her productivity, as she trekked through a stretch of rainforest where the trees were so ancient and dense she could hardly see a short distance ahead.

But the magic carried on the air a little differently as they walked through territory they'd yet to chart. While Hermione had done her best to keep track of the areas she had already checked, it was an imperfect science, and she was bound to miss something.

A shiver trawled along her spine, an ancient whisper in the slight breeze that carried through the otherwise still canopy. She slowed her pace a little, falling back to walk alongside Nott and Malfoy, and after exchanging a brief glance with each of them, she knew she wasn't alone in feeling the shift.

For the first time since she had come across them on Anguilla, Malfoy's brow pulled with apprehension―or maybe it was fear.

"The fuck is that," Nott hissed, his face going white beneath the several-days-thick stubble along his jaw.

Hermione stiffened as all three of them came to a halt, and she rummaged in her pack for a magical detection device. She set it down on the ground, watching as the dials and levers whirred with some sort of invisible magical frequencies in the earth.

"What does it mean?" Malfoy ground out, his voice quiet, and Hermione stood up alongside them.

She shook her head slowly, gnawing on her bottom lip. "I don't know. But this is the most magical activity I've seen since we arrived on the island."

"So this is where the ruins are located?" Nott asked. He exchanged a glance with Malfoy, and Hermione eyed them with a narrowed gaze.

They had worked out a loose verbal arrangement early that morning, and while Hermione felt more confident that they wouldn't cross her after spending the day together, she still wasn't quite certain whether she trusted either of them.

But her heart began to slam in her chest as the device whistled and rang, a shrill hiss escaping from within it.

"I don't know," she whispered, tensing on the spot. Every instinct within her roiled against the encroaching magic.

Her own magical core shuddered away from the feel of it as it only grew stronger.

"Granger," Malfoy hissed, "back away."

Her gaze flitted rapidly to her companions and back to the instrument, which began to rattle on the ground. In a split second decision, she darted forward, crouching down to peer closer at the readings on the device. She drew her wand, heart clamouring in her chest as she cast a rapid-fire series of spells.

The magic crawled along her skin, the pressure of it tightening as though seeking to stifle her own.

"I just need to be sure," she breathed, focus narrowed in on the device.

The tension against her skin worsened, and for a terrible, sickening moment, she felt as though she were being squeezed through a tube with too narrow an opening.

Beneath her feet, the ground began to tremble, and Hermione nearly lost her balance. Her eyes drifted back up to the rainforest ahead of them, darkening in tandem with the black clouds rolling in overhead of the island that had been incessantly sunny since they arrived.

A breath caught in her throat, fear darting through her like a bullet.

"Granger! Get out of there!" Malfoy snapped, and his voice sounded farther off.

Swallowing through a parched throat, Hermione checked one last thing on the instrument before rising once more to unsteady feet. Her stomach twisted with nausea, and she feared she might vomit.

The ground shook and quaked with a sudden surge of energy, and as she began to back away from the instrument, a tremour rocked the earth, and she lost her footing. Her breaths fell heavy with terror as magic swirled up from the ground ahead of her, dark and insidious.

An arm looped around her waist from behind, yanking her back against a firm chest, and the last thing she saw through wide eyes was the ground crumbling away into nothing with a great cacophonous roar.

And then she felt a sharp tug beneath her navel.

* * *

Theo landed hard on the ground, blood rushing through his veins as he clutched Granger's smaller frame to himself, and it was a testament to her own fear that she didn't immediately extract herself from his hold.

Draco's startled eyes met his, lips parted in shock.

They'd Disapparated away from _whatever that was_ in the trees, landing back on the far shoreline near the rickety, half-rotten dock where their boat was tied up.

Granger clung to his forearm wrapped around her middle, her fingers white-knuckled and tense. A tight breath chased from her lungs as she whispered, "Thanks."

At last she disentangled herself from his hold, clapping a hand to her mouth as she gazed between them.

In the distance, the rumbling of the earth echoed through the forest, and Theo wondered what exactly she had just done. The brightness of daylight was gone, eclipsed by the ever-blackening clouds stirring and twisting unnatural patterns in the sky above.

Draco dragged an aggravated hand through his hair. "What the fuck was that?"

Eyes wide, Granger remained speechless, and Theo could see her brain whirring.

"I'm guessing we found the ruins," he said carefully. "Or _something_." He fixed Draco with a hard look. "Whatever it was evidently didn't care to be found."

The sentiment hung in the air like an unwelcome fourth, and Theo watched as Granger and Draco stared at one another.

"What do we do?" she asked at last, speaking for the first time since before everything had crashed down around them. "I wonder what that was."

Draco flickered his brows. "Judging by the bloody earthquake you unleashed, half the fucking island just caved in."

"We _can't_ leave now," she hissed.

In Theo's estimation, the earthquake might have reached the beach where their tents stood, and he didn't want to be the one to bring it up―but he could see the defeat on Granger's face as the truth settled in.

"We might not have a choice," Draco returned, squaring his jaw. "I don't want to leave either, but I'm sure as hell not going back in there without a plan."

When uneasy silence hovered once more, Theo cleared his throat. "Do we dare check on the tents?"

Granger folded her arms across her chest, shoulders bowed inward, and her uncertainty made her look so much smaller. "It's hard to say whether the quake reached the opposite shore."

"We regroup," Draco said at last. "We don't know about the camp site, but we still have the boat. We can go back to Anguilla and decide what we're doing next."

Granger's brows tilted, as though she had expected their tentative truce to dissolve, but she nodded. "I have my pack at least."

They had both seen her pull an unreasonable amount of things from the pack, and it reassured Theo just slightly, given his own satchel was packed with only a few essentials for the day.

Although she looked hesitant as to Draco's skills at captaining a Muggle boat―Theo didn't blame her―Granger boarded the vessel and sank into a seat in the back, shoulders hunched with defeat.

Theo nudged Draco in the arm, who still looked a little dazed. "Let's go."

* * *

A contemplative, brooding silence characterised the booth where the three of them sat, sipping on tropical drinks with small paper umbrellas and colourful straws. Draco couldn't help but recall the way the ground had dropped away ahead of them, and if it weren't for Theo's quick thinking, Granger might have vanished with the forest floor.

She had been so focused on what she was doing, to the point where she had put herself at risk.

And Draco wanted to find the treasure too―but first and foremost, he was a Slytherin. Self-preservation had always been atop his nature.

Maybe it was time to simply cut their losses and return home. He could see the realisation in Granger's eyes, dull as they lingered on his. Something within him refused to voice the thought, however.

He dropped his glass to the table, dragging a hand down his face. "Obviously this isn't how we wanted today to go. Let's go over our options."

"We go home," Theo suggested, though Draco detected a note of disappointment in the words. Maybe Theo wasn't as keen to retreat from the scenario as he had previously vocalised. His eyes drifted upwards. "Or if we're really stupid, we return to the island in the morning and see what we can find. _If_ there's anything left of it."

Granger exhaled a breath through her nose. " _Something_ was revealed in the forest when that quake happened. I just didn't get a good glimpse of it."

"Because you were about to fall in," Draco huffed, feeling a sting of irritation. "You're lucky Theo grabbed you when he did."

Her face sobered. "I know. Thank you, Theo."

It was the first time Draco had heard her use either of their given names, and his annoyance deflated from within him like a wisp of air. "Even if, theoretically, we can somehow get back to where the quake occurred―if that's where the Ruins of Artakai are located―what would we even do? We have no idea what sort of magic exists in there to have broken out so violently."

Granger's doleful eyes flitted to his. "I did tell you that would be the case, didn't I?"

Despite himself, humour tugged at his lips as he ducked his head. "You did. Thank Merlin none of us are dust. _Yet_."

In the time it had taken for the three of them to make it back from Masani to Anguilla, the dark clouds that had accumulated over Masani gave way into clear blue skies again, but the sun had already begun its descent into the horizon.

Even if they were to attempt an overseas Apparition back to Masani, they'd be left without the boat, and they didn't even know if their tents hadn't been destroyed.

They had left basic wards on their camp site, but whatever happened on the island had been characterised by intense and unknown magic.

"We're best to stay here on Anguilla tonight," Draco announced, taking a sip of his punch, which was a curious combination of too much sugar and a startling amount of rum. But after the tension and the fear that had swelled within him, he welcomed the soothing warmth of the alcohol dispersing through him. "We have enough money between us to find a hotel."

Although Granger tensed, her stare darting between them, Draco only took another deep swig. He'd almost forgotten about the teasing nature of their conversation the night before in light of that afternoon's events. But he rolled his eyes, lips twitching.

"That's fine," Theo announced, sinking back in his seat. "We _could_ just stay here on Anguilla and forget about the dangerous ruins that will try and kill us if we aren't careful."

The thought appealed to Draco's baser nature, and he even saw Granger's face flash with indecision.

But she sighed at last. "I can't come all this way, _find the ruins_ , and then go home without trying to access them."

"Same." The word slipped from Draco's lips almost unbidden when everything within him wanted to spend the rest of their time in the Caribbean basking in the sun with Theo. He took Theo's hand beneath the table, giving it a squeeze. "I think we should at least go back and see what we're dealing with now. Maybe the quake revealed something."

Theo gave him a resigned smile. "Then that's what we'll do. Tomorrow."

"Agreed." Granger's eyelids fluttered with exhaustion, her drink nearly empty on the table. "Let's find somewhere to stay for the night, and we can start again fresh in the morning."

"Deal." Draco slammed the last of his drink.

* * *

As it turned out, as late in the evening as it was, the first three hotels they checked had no rooms available at all, and by the time they reached the fourth, Hermione didn't care if they slept in the boat.

When the concierge told the three of them they had only one room left, she had carefully avoided Malfoy’s and Nott's stares as she rummaged in her bag for some local currency. They would simply have to make do.

The last of her hopes drifted away, however, when they opened the door to reveal one queen-sized bed.

"I'll sleep on the sofa," Hermione announced, unwilling to even entertain a debate otherwise. Not when she still hadn't quite determined whether they had been teasing her the night before or if there had been a veiled invitation behind their innuendo.

The way Malfoy and Nott shared a secretive glance left her uneasy, in that way where they appeared to communicate without words.

Clearly, they knew one another well, and the thought of it left her briefly homesick for her own friends.

She had come all this way, after years of research and study, and to return home empty-handed when they were so close felt like admitting defeat. If Malfoy and Nott decided to go back to England, she couldn't fault them after what had happened that afternoon.

Nott eyed her from across the room as she fluffed the cushions on the sofa. "That wouldn't be very gentlemanly of us."

"Don't worry," she mused softly, "your sensibilities aren't on the line when I've offered."

"Granger," Malfoy drawled, ducking his chin. "You take the bed. Theo and I will make do."

Hermione waved a flippant hand before they could suggest anything different. "Don't be unreasonable. There are two of you and one of me." She shouldered her pack once more, and despite the way her eyelids felt so heavy she could have fallen asleep in an instant, she seized the opportunity at a hot shower after three days trekking through the bush.

The scalding water rejuvenated her spirits and after all three of them had made use of the shower, Hermione perched on the sofa in her sleep clothes, folding her legs beneath herself. It felt as though she were sitting on a rock, and she could only hope she was tired enough to fall asleep quickly despite her discomfort.

"Are we going back in the morning?"

Although Malfoy and Nott had both indicated their interest in at least seeing through another day, she couldn't be certain they hadn't discussed other matters without her. If they left, she had already committed to staying, but at some point along the way, she had come to appreciate their presence on her unwieldy mission.

Malfoy clenched his jaw into a hard line. "Yes. We're going to _see_ what the quake revealed. But make no mistake, I have no intentions of turning to dust, and if there's any sign of further trouble, we might have to reconsider."

She wondered whether it pained him as much to say the words as it did her when she nodded. "Okay. Agreed."

When Hermione shifted on the hard cushions of the sofa, Nott's gaze followed the movement, and he rolled his eyes. "Granger, sleep in the bed with us. We aren't going to do anything to you."

"Not unless you want us to," Malfoy added quickly, his gaze drifting idly to the ceiling before snapping back to hers. "We were only joking last night." 

"Mostly," Theo added.

Malfoy nodded. "Mostly."

" _Except_ ," Nott pressed on, leaning his head against the headboard, "the offer was genuine."

"Right. Genuine."

Hermione's head spun as they carried on, and she wondered whether the inane rambling was meant to entice her or put her off. But to her own dismay, blood rushed into her cheeks, her core clenching as she looked at each of them in the eye.

"So you're serious," she hedged, dragging her lower lip between her teeth. "You want _me_ to... join you."

"Yes." Nott's response was instant. "But if you say no, we'll respect that."

It was certainly the _last_ thing she had expected from her trip to the Caribbean. To be dually propositioned by her old schoolyard rivals. Even the thought of it left her uneasy, warring with the oddity of it and the desire that had crept in at the thought.

She swallowed thickly, her mouth dry. With them safely across the room, she stood the best chance at keeping her head. "How does it work?" she asked, curious despite herself. "Do you invite someone in for a night or―"

They exchanged a look, and Malfoy shrugged. "Not necessarily. Sometimes it lasts longer if the third is amenable." Surprise welled within her at the thought. His grey eyes were heated as they lingered on her. "Polyamory isn't as unorthodox as you're making it seem, Granger. The wizarding world is _outdated_ on the surface, granted, but it isn't unheard of. And in the context of a magical practice, it goes back millennia―I'd wager to say it's more widely accepted in the wizarding world than Muggle."

He released a breath as though discussing the matter had crawled under his skin as well.

"At any rate," Nott went on, waving a hand, "you're welcome to share the bed with us, and we won't do anything to you. As discussed."

She was mad even to consider it. She had to be. Especially after what they had just told her. But still, Hermione couldn't quite control her body's traitorous reaction to the thought. The idea of spending the night with not one, but _both_ of them―

Her tongue darted out, moistening her lips. Heat crawled up her chest and into her throat, and she wondered whether they could feel the tension flooding the small room.

"Nothing funny," she whispered, fixing each of them with a stern look. "Just to sleep."

A slow, crooked grin dragged across Malfoy's face that caused her stomach to twist up. "Sleep it is."

Merlin, if it wasn’t the worst idea she'd ever agreed to, and she'd already begun to regret it by the time she crossed the room. Hermione planted herself along one edge of the bed, slipping beneath the covers and leaving plenty of room for the pair of them on the other side.

But although Malfoy tugged the blankets over himself on the other side, Hermione yelped when Nott nudged her into the centre and climbed in on her other side.

"I left you plenty of room over there," she hissed, darkness encompassing the room as they both settled in as though nothing were amiss.

Nott yawned widely, inching closer so she had no choice but to move into the middle. "I like this side better," he murmured.

If Hermione had been particularly inclined, she would have argued the point―and she knew they would have eventually conceded. For all she knew, they were simply testing her resolve once more. Or maybe it was another of their teasing games.

But she couldn't deny a certain level of warmth and comfort as she relaxed into the soft mattress between them. They were both sturdy and secure, and after the day they'd had, Hermione had nothing left in her to deny that she liked the way it felt.

Nott shifted closer behind her, his knees nudging the back of her own, and he toyed with one of her curls between his fingers as he settled in.

As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, Hermione found Malfoy's sleepy eyes lingering on her own, his legs brushing against hers.

The bed was large enough for the three of them but didn't allow for much room to spare, and unless Hermione cared to extract herself from the situation altogether, she resolved herself to the fact that there would be a certain amount of _contact_. But they'd insisted they would keep their hands to themselves, and Hermione felt herself succumb to sleep before she could give it any more thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I'd love to hear your thoughts xo


	5. Chapter 5

Draco stirred to sunlight streaking through the curtains, his entire being relaxed and warm. His eyes slid open to Granger's sleeping face just before him on the same pillow, and he blinked several times as the events of the day before flooded back in.

Theo and Granger were entangled, one of his arms beneath her neck, the other banded around her middle.

As Draco gazed at her, assessing the situation, sleepy chocolate brown eyes slid open to find his. She tensed with a sharp inhale, catching his stare as she presumably came to the realisation of how potentially compromised she had found herself.

They'd promised her they wouldn’t do anything funny.

The way her eyes lingered on him spoke differently, however, and she was close enough that Draco could feel the gentle puffs of air from her breath on his own face.

She was so much more beautiful than he had ever realised.

Her stare was still a little glassy with sleep. Draco clamped his lips shut, his throat bobbing with a thick swallow, when she ducked in, resting her forehead against his. He dragged a hand down her side, trailing his fingers along her hip and towards the curve of her arse.

To his surprise, her nose nudged his own. Heart beating rapidly, Draco could feel the escalation of her breath when her lips brushed against his. He kissed her again, eyes sliding shut as he allowed himself to indulge in the soft indolence of her kisses, and his tongue slipped between her lips when a soft groan escaped her. His cock twitched awake at the sound. As he dragged a hand down her arse, grazing Theo's thigh, Draco shifted closer.

But Granger tore away, her eyes snapping wide with terror.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, brows furrowing, "I don't know what came over me. I shouldn't have―what about Theo―"

"Theo's fine," Draco murmured, lips grazing hers again. "Trust me."

When Granger tentatively returned the pressure again, as though adjusting to the idea of it, Theo stirred awake. "Theo's _more than_ fine." His hand on Granger's stomach slid upwards, cupping one of her breasts with a gentle squeeze.

A breath fell from her lips against Draco's, and a sinful whimper escaped her mouth when Theo ground against her arse.

She kissed Draco again, more assertive than before, and Draco pulled her nearly flush against him. As Theo toyed with her breast, tweaking her nipple through the thin fabric of her top, Draco gave her arse a squeeze. His eyes fluttered open to see Theo catch her earlobe with his teeth, and Draco's arousal flared to life.

When Granger wrenched away, chest heaving with anxious breaths, her eyes slid open to meet his again. "We shouldn't be doing this," she whispered.

At once, Draco released her, and Theo drew back.

"Alright," Draco drawled. Her gaze still lingered on his, searching. "I told you no pressure from us."

She chewed her bottom lip, still partway caught in Theo's hold, and her eyes fell shut as she ground her arse back against his erection once more. Draco watched on, mouth going dry as she tested the boundaries she had imposed upon the situation.

When Theo pinched her nipple again, a cry fell from her lips, and his mouth found the curve of her jaw, mapping a trail towards her mouth.

Granger rolled her head, catching Theo's lips in a tentative kiss. Draco's own arousal strained against his shorts when their tongues met, and her eyes opened to meet his.

"Good girl," Draco whispered, with a bit of a nod. "You're doing so well."

Granger's stare lingered a moment longer, and Draco could see the way her mind chased and whirred, as though trying to rationalise the pleasure.

Draco ducked in, tugging her shirt down to free her breasts, and he sucked a nipple between his lips, swirling his tongue around the peak. Another cry escaped, muffled against Theo's lips, and she ground idly back against Theo's arousal once more.

Although Draco was almost painfully turned on, he didn't want to frighten her off as she teased the edges of her own sexuality. He meant what he had said―he never wanted to push her beyond her limits. But there was something about watching Hermione Granger―straight-laced though she had always been―basking in her pleasure between them.

Draco shifted to her other nipple, teasing the sensitive skin with his mouth and fingers, and she buried a hand in his hair as he trailed downwards, lifting her top to ghost a path down her stomach.

"Draco," she groaned, hand tensing in his hair.

He hesitated, brushing a lingering kiss against her hip bone as he toyed with the waistband of her shorts. Smirk curling his lips, he murmured against her skin, _"_ _Hermione_ _._ Shall I stop?"

In the back of his mind, Draco was fully aware of their actual mission on the island, and he knew she wasn't ready to take that step with them. The timing was far from ideal. But just _maybe_ she would like to eventually.

"If you're agreeable," Draco said, grinning as he pressed another kiss to her lower stomach, making her squirm under the warmth of his breath, "I would love to make you come. And then I'm going to drag Theo into the shower to take care of him before we leave. How does that sound?"

A breathy titter escaped her. Draco couldn't see what Theo was doing to her, but she ground out, "Hardly seems fair."

"It's fine, love," Theo murmured from somewhere above him.

Another whimper fell from her lips, and Draco grinned.

"Okay," she breathed, shifting onto her back. "That's okay." He tugged her shorts and knickers free as one, tossing them to the floor behind him before slipping two fingers between her moist folds.

"You're so wet for us," Draco groaned, darting his tongue out to taste her clitoris. _"_ _Theo,_ feel her, please."

Theo's hand reached down, nudging against Draco's as Theo plunged his fingers inside of her. Draco licked Granger's juices from Theo's fingers, eyes fluttering shut to savour the taste before diving back in to drag the flat of his tongue along her slit. 

A desirous cry escaped her lips.

As he set a steady rhythm within her with two fingers, Draco licked and sucked at her clit, reaching his other hand around her arse to catch Theo's erection in his palm through his shorts and stroking him idly.

Granger was surprisingly responsive to their combined ministrations, Theo teasing her with his hands and mouth, and a smirk lifted Draco's lips as he curled his fingers inside of her. Her hand swept through his hair, holding him in place between her legs. And although Draco's erection longed for attention, all he cared about at the moment was bringing her to the edge of an explosive orgasm.

When he latched his lips onto her clit once more, fucking her with his fingers, Draco felt her entire body tense. Then she came with a soft jumble of words, pulling at his hair almost painfully.

Draco released a harsh breath before lapping the juices from her slit, and extracted his fingers from her pussy.

His gaze darted up to find her staring at him, her lips parted and cheeks flushed, and a smirk tugged at his lips again. He shifted upwards, pressing a kiss to her temple, before Theo's grip curled around his forearm and he pulled Draco, rather forcefully, into the loo.

* * *

Hermione didn't know how she could possibly look either of them in the eye again.

She hadn't even meant to kiss Malfoy, let alone get so carried away with _both_ of them. And while they had been surprisingly considerate with regards to ensuring her consent, Hermione had never behaved in such a way. Truth be told, she hadn't even given the idea any real thought.

Never before had she engaged in intimacy with more than one partner. And every man she had been with in the past had been... acceptable. Mediocre. The sex was good but typically around the same from one to the next.

Trapped between Malfoy and Nott, the pair of them working her into delirium, had been an experience she never could have imagined. Even hours later, her body still sang with awareness and the force of the orgasm that had left her head spinning and knees weak.

As though they hadn't wanted to alarm or overwhelm her all at once, they had vanished into the loo and returned some time later. Which left Hermione at an awkward point where she wanted to reciprocate the pleasure they had given her. But she didn't know how to venture down that road, or if she even wanted to.

Who was she kidding―she had never experienced anything like it.

Their hands and mouths on her, together at once, had been almost over-stimulating, but Hermione couldn't stop thinking about it.

She sat in the back of Malfoy's boat, watching the bright blue sky reflect off the waves as they charted a course back from Anguilla to Masani. The three of them had spoken little as they packed their bags and prepared to leave the hotel room, and Hermione hadn't known how to break the tension that now existed.

Until Theo slumped onto the bench beside her, his leg pressing against her own.

Not for the first time, she wondered if the man had any sense of boundaries. Although Hermione supposed they had completely obliterated any that may have existed between them that morning.

He rolled his face towards her, hazel eyes sparkling. Malfoy had shaved at the hotel, but Theo kept a thin layer of stubble along the sharp line of his jaw. Voice low, he asked, "How are you feeling?" Although she thought he might have been teasing, his expression was surprisingly genuine. "It can be a lot to take in."

"Fine," Hermione nodded, flashing him a smile. "This morning wasn't exactly what I expected, but I don't regret it."

"Good. Consenting adults and all that." A tentative smile spread across his face. "Neither do I."

Hermione worried her bottom lip, eyeing him for a moment.

At the front of the boat, Malfoy wore dark glasses which lent to the clean lines of his handsome face, but with the spray of the ocean, she knew he couldn't hear them. She had less of a history with Nott, so he felt a little more approachable.

"I suppose I'm curious," she hedged, and he only nodded that she go on. "How a third person affects the dynamic between you―if this is something you do often. You two seem to get along so easily."

Nott offered another easy smile. "We love having a third. But it doesn't always work for various reasons. Sometimes it's meant to be short term, or sometimes the other person doesn't fit in with what Draco and I prefer. He and I just know what works for us, and we try to be as upfront as possible." As though he could still read her confusion, he dropped his head into a tilt. "Look at it this way: I love Draco. And if we had a third, I could love them as well. I have room in my heart for two, and as long as things are open and honest between the three of us, it can work out."

"You don't get jealous?" she asked, gaze flitting back to Malfoy.

He shook his head. "Not really. Because I know Draco and I are on the same page, and he and I will always have one another." He lowered his voice, lips twitching. "If anything, Draco's the more possessive one of us. But he doesn't get jealous either―it's just part of the dynamic we seek in a third. Someone who meshes well with both of us individually and together."

The words settled into her brain, still somewhat vague and nebulous, but his explanation fit a little better. Hermione didn't know that she would be able to live that way, but she had never tried.

"See, look." Before Hermione could register Theo's words, he ducked in, kissing her squarely on the lips. Her heart flared into a rapid cadence once more, remembering his touches from that morning, and she melted into his hold as she allowed herself to kiss him back, sweeping one hand into his hair.

Theo planted a hand on her thigh, his thumb brushing the bare skin below her shorts, and desire flooded through her at the mild touch as he kissed her. His fingers inched a little higher, and a quiet whimper slipped from her lips.

But he pulled back, mouth curling into a secretive smile.

"You two are turning me on," Draco drawled from the front of the boat, glancing over his shoulder at the pair of them. "If I knew how to magically drive this boat without sinking us―"

Theo ducked his chin at Hermione. "You made him pout." He bit down on his bottom lip when she smiled, his eyelids low. "One of us should make him feel better."

Draco huffed a sigh, chuckling. "Poor me. Though I do like whatever it is you're telling her, Theo."

Although Hermione gnawed on her bottom lip, hesitancy flaring within her, Theo nudged her up from the bench beside him. "I already sucked him off this morning. Go give him a proper kiss―I want to watch."

She clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh as she rose from her seat, stumbling a little with the movement of the boat as it broke through the waves. But despite herself and the circumstances that had felt entirely different only days before, Hermione felt a strange willingness to simply go with the flow between them. She perched on the passenger's seat, biting back a smile when Malfoy peered at her over his sunglasses.

"You don't need to indulge him if you don't want to, Granger," he muttered, though good humour tugged at his lips. "Merlin knows I don't always."

But a bright streak of courage chased through her, bolstered by the tropical sun beaming down, and she ducked forward across the small gap to kiss him. Although one of his hands remained on the wheel, he dragged her closer with the other, pulling her onto his lap, and his chest brushed hers. Hermione buried her hands into his hair as she teased his tongue with her own.

It was a strange experience, kissing one of them then the other and learning the differences between the two. And despite their _adventure_ that morning, Hermione felt fresh arousal coil within her belly when Malfoy's hand skimmed her back to squeeze her arse.

Somehow knowing Theo was watching spurred her on as she ground down into his hardening cock.

But Malfoy pulled away with a snicker. "As much as I enjoy this game you and Theo are playing, we'll be back on Masani soon."

The words sobered her desire as Hermione stared at him, a furrow tugging at her brow. "We'll need to decide what we're doing when we get there."

His free hand still teased and massaged her arse, playing along the hem of her shorts, but he glanced at his watch. "We ought to have left the hotel earlier," he murmured, smirking, "but at least we'll have time to assess the situation before it gets too dark."

"Right." He was remarkably attractive, and the fact that he wasn't the prick he had been in their formative years caused Hermione's interest to spike exponentially. Knowing what he could do with his tongue didn't hurt matters any. She dragged her fingertips along his sharp cheekbones, ghosting her lips along the line of his jaw. "We can check in at the camp site to see the state of it and, if there's time, assess what happened in the forest yesterday."

"That's fine," he breathed, angling his head to oblige her exploration. His grey eyes fluttered even as he continued to steer the boat, and she coveted the uneven breath that slipped from his mouth.

"Okay now the two of you are turning _me_ on. And we don't have time for any more distractions right now." Theo looped his arms around her and pulled her back onto the bench at the stern of the boat. He slung an arm around her shoulders, tugging her into his side, and despite herself, a contented smile crossed her lips.

* * *

Although Theo couldn't be arsed over buried treasure if it meant putting his life in danger, he couldn't deny he enjoyed how the trip had gone on the whole so far. Aside from the earth caving in and releasing a shitstorm of strange magic, everything had gone better than expected.

That he and Draco found themselves interested in Granger was surprising enough, but the fact that she had been somewhat amenable to the idea was enticing. Theo never cared to get his hopes up prematurely, but if nothing else it was a fun experience.

As much as he appreciated Draco's hard lines, Theo also loved the soft curves of a woman.

With any luck, she might be interested in something more.

Presently she frowned at the tattered remains of her tent, arms folded across her front as she worried her lower lip.

Their own tent further down the shoreline had been damaged by the quake as well, but the wards kept it standing and usable. It just meant Granger would have to stay with them in their tent, which wasn't a bad thing in the slightest. Theo had been happy to wake up with her smaller form pressed against his chest.

Granger attempted several repair spells, frowning when nothing responded. "The magic of the quake must have superseded the magic of the tent itself," she observed, her gaze darting towards Draco. "Do you think?"

"Maybe." He shrugged, poking around the heap of broken materials. _"_ _Or_ the magic that was released in the collapse is still wreaking havoc on this whole island."

Theo frowned at the thought, peering up at the sky. Thin grey cloud cover hung above Masani, a stark contrast to the sunny blue skies that had followed them most of the way from Anguilla. But it wasn't anything compared to the black clouds that had roiled and twisted unnaturally the day before.

He opened his mouth to suggest they should probably go if that were the case when Granger nodded. 

"We're just going to have to go check out the site of the quake," she announced.

Theo offered the pair of them a grimace, but Draco sighed his agreement.

"Come on" ―Granger brandished an arm― "it'll be quicker if we Apparate to the direct area."

If she knew where they were going, it was all the better, because Theo couldn't remember after drifting aimlessly through the brush for the first half of the day yesterday. With a shrug, he allowed himself to be pulled into a side-along Apparition.

But Granger frowned when the three of them landed in an innocuous stretch of rainforest. She checked her compass and a map, peering up at the canopy above. "This isn't right."

"Maybe you missed the spot," Draco offered, kicking the scrub beneath his feet. "Easy enough to do out here."

She thinned her lips, shaking her head. "I was quite certain. And look―"

When she brandished her compass they both looked closer. The needle of it spun and twisted, as though it couldn't quite tell which direction was north.

Draco caught Theo's stare, a furrow knitting his brows. "The magnetism is off. Could the magic of the quake have done something?"

Theo released a breath, shaking his head. "I guess it might have done. Like an artificial ley line causing trouble." He drew his own wand, attempting a brief series of spells, and while some of them worked, others sputtered and fell flat. "That isn't good."

Granger's wide eyes darted between them. "So the magic of the island has affected our own?"

"That's how it looks." Draco released a sigh, checking his watch. "We have a few hours yet before we'll need to head for the camp. I don't want to be out here after dark. Do you know how far we are from the site of the quake?"

She stared at her compass again, eyes narrowed as the needle spun and finally came to a halt. All three of them shared a glance. "It might be that way―in which case the Apparition only brought us about halfway."

Sardonically, Theo quipped, "I supposed we'd better go the rest of the way towards the magic that's seeking to stifle our own with little regard for what sort of madness we're going to come across."

Granger's lips curled with a wry smile. "Catches on quick, doesn't he?"

"He does." Draco's affectionate eyes landed on him as he slung an arm around Theo's shoulders.

Theo rolled his eyes and slapped Draco on the arse. "You're both lucky I'm in a good mood."

Despite the urgency of the situation, Granger smiled at them. "Have I seen him in a bad mood?"

"Theo's never in a bad mood."

"Technically not true," Theo pointed out, "but it's rare."

Draco ducked in, pressing a swift kiss to his lips. "And it's a good thing because I'm moody enough for both of us."

Granger's grin widened. "I can see it. Come on―let's go."

* * *

Draco didn't know what they had been expecting to find below the quake, but by the time they arrived, any attempts at magic had become utterly futile.

An ominous, jagged line charted across the forest ahead of them, the dense trees and hard earth that had stood there only the day before completely gone, as if vanished into dust. The thought caused a thick lump to accumulate in his throat.

Luckily Granger had a pair of flashlights in her pack because the sun had just started to creep lower towards the horizon, and they wouldn't be able to rely on Apparition to get them safely back to the camp.

She shone one of the thin beams of light into the gaping crevasse, and Draco crouched down to look closer.

"I can see something down there," he said, squinting into the haze that hung in the air. "But I can't make out the details from here."

The gap carried on for as long as he could see, but trees encircled the sides from their vantage point, so presumably it came to an end beyond the line of his sight.

"Should I be the one to say that we don't know what this magic is going to do to us," Theo drawled.

"You can," Draco quipped, "but if it's malicious it's too late for all of us now."

Granger ducked down beside him. "And we all already had the thought."

"Good," Theo nodded, "perfect."

Draco rose to his feet, offering Theo a smirk. _"_ _You_ have been so supportive even though you've hated every minute of this." He ducked his chin. "And I hope I don't cause your demise because I'll feel really bad about it as I die in some unknown but agonising way."

"At least if I'm going to die a slow, painful death," Theo murmured, "it'll be with my favourite person in the world."

His face fell. Merlin knew, Draco had never deserved Theodore Nott.

But Granger beamed at them both, her eyes bright.

"For a pair of Slytherins," she teased, "you two are remarkably soft."

Narrowing his eyes, Draco scowled at her. "Take that back, Gryffindor."

"It's okay," Theo said, flashing her a roguish grin, "he's only soft for me."

Granger pressed up on her toes, brushing a kiss against Draco's cheek, and his lips twitched as his ire faltered. But she said, "It's okay―I won't reveal your secret." Her gaze flitted up towards the sky again. "If we're going to investigate what's down there, it'll have to be tomorrow."

"Yeah." Draco waved his wand once, shaking his head. "Still nothing. We'd better get walking if we want to get back before dark."

"Great." Theo clapped his hands together. "We'll live another day then."

Draco elbowed him in the side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was thrilled to see so many of you as keen on bedsharing as I am (and here we go \o/). I hope you enjoyed the chapter! xo


	6. Chapter 6

"Can't sleep?"

Hermione glanced up, startled from her thoughts, as Malfoy walked up behind her seat. Theo had transfigured several lounging chairs like the ones that had been at the resort in Anguilla in an effort to make their stretch of shoreline more hospitable.

She offered a thin smile. "No, afraid not." She leaned back in her seat as he dragged one of the others beside hers, securing them side by side before relaxing back into it. He wore only his shorts and no shirt, and Hermione eyed him for a moment before glancing away. He was remarkably fit.

"Are you worried about tomorrow?" His eyes lingered on hers as he interlocked his hands behind his head.

"A little." Hermione released a sigh. "We have no idea what we're going to be facing. Are you?"

Malfoy pursed his lips with a shrug. "I suppose so. I can't help but wonder if it's a bad idea to go down there."

"I understand," she breathed, "and I won't ask either of you to come with me."

He scoffed. "Forget that. I didn't come this far to run away."

They fell silent, Hermione gazing out at the darkness of the waves and the reflection of the moon dancing along the ocean's surface. After dinner, the three of them had prepared for any contingency they might come across the next day, provided they would likely be without their magic once more as they neared the ruins.

Theo had retired to sleep―and so, she thought, had Malfoy.

Hermione released a long breath. "I didn't think I would say this the first day I arrived, but I'm glad I'm not facing this alone."

A slow grin spread across his face, igniting a spark within her chest as she turned to face him. "Honestly? I'm glad too. Obviously I didn't realise everything we would be facing here."

"I _think_ I recall mentioning that at some point," Hermione teased.

His elbow nudged her arm, but his eyes shone with warmth before shifting to the sky overhead, blanketed with bright stars. "Enough worrying for tonight. Tell me something."

"Like what?"

"I don't know, something interesting." He rolled his eyes. "What do you do in London?"

"I'm a magical researcher, although you might not find that very interesting," she mused with a smile. "Studying the ruins has been just one of many projects. I have a small flat, but it's mostly overrun with equipment."

Malfoy cracked a grin. "I can't say that surprises me."

"You?"

"Theo and I have a flat, too, but it isn't particularly _small_." He hesitated and added, "I do potions, and Theo runs an apothecary." When Hermione lifted her brows, he ducked his chin. "What?"

"Nothing," she breathed. "It just isn't what I expected."

"Slumming it at the Manor, indulging in my obscene wealth all day," he drawled, lifting a brow. "More what you were thinking?" He snickered, shaking his head. "Not even a little."

Hermione shifted onto her side to face him, worrying her lower lip. "Do your parents like Theo?"

Malfoy released a humourless laugh. "They like him just fine; he's a Nott. Sacred Twenty-Eight and all that. But as my partner? No." He rolled his face towards her. "Father's in Azkaban of course, but he wanted to disown me when they found out about Theo and me. Mother didn't let him, but most of the time I think that was only because she didn't want to give society a reason why and draw more attention to the situation. They reduced my access to the family vaults instead." He fell silent for a long moment, jaw clenched in a hard line. "My mother prefers to exist in a world where her son isn't a polyamorous bisexual."

A thick lump accumulated in Hermione's throat as he spoke, and she swallowed with some difficulty. "I'm sorry."

He gave a flippant shrug that belied the tension in his face. "It's fine. It used to bother me more than it does now, but I can't help that it doesn't matter to me what gender someone is. I could have gone along with one of their inane marriage arrangements and spent the rest of my life miserable with someone I didn't care about―and in the process hurt someone I _actually_ cared about. But I couldn't do that to Theo." His gaze flitted to hers, and he lowered his voice. "It's cruel to say, but Theo didn’t have to deal with any of that―both his parents were gone by the time we properly got together."

Hermione released a long breath, the words tugging at her heart. "When did you know?"

His eyes narrowed, as though considering the question. "I didn't really have a chance to consider those sorts of things until we went back for eighth year. After Theo and I were together the first time, neither of us mentioned it for _months_." He chuckled, shaking his head. "We just ignored it as if it would go away eventually, but then Theo told me he'd fucked Daphne but still wanted me, too. And... we just figured the rest out from there over the years."

As he spoke, Hermione wondered at his honesty with her when they'd really only been getting to know one another over a handful of days.

Dropping her voice, she mused, "You and Theo really seem to get on well."

Malfoy stared at her for a long moment, his throat shifting with a swallow. "I'll be the first to say I've never deserved Theo. But he's the only person who has _always_ been there for me... even when I didn't realise I needed him."

Hermione could only imagine he was referring to the war, and she idly tugged one of his hands between her own. "I don't know him that well yet, but he seems wonderful."

"He is _so_ loyal, Granger." His voice dropped, hoarse with emotion, before he snickered. "Don't bring it up to his face, but he's got major Hufflepuff tendencies."

Despite herself, a laugh broke free. "I can see how that would bruise his Slytherin ego."

A smile lingered on his lips. "He knows it's true; he just hates when I mention it." After a moment, he sobered again. "I always want to keep him safe, even though I know it isn't my place. I'm usually the one who's pickier about letting anyone else in long-term―I could never fully accept anyone who doesn't see Theo and love him like I do." 

"I can respect that. And I respect the dynamic between you―it's worth protecting."

For a moment, he stared at their hands before slipping his fingers between hers with a squeeze. "I know it is. Theo's always going to be it for me, and I _know_ he's weird, Granger. But he's _so much_ better than I am, and I just want people to see that."

To her surprise, Hermione felt moisture sting at the corners of her eyes at his blatant honesty. She searched his stare, humbled by the way he had shared with her. "You're better than I realised. Than I remembered."

His voice was heavy with emotion. "Did _you_ make it through the war without changing on a _fundamental_ level?"

"Not even close." She swiped at one eye, offering a sad smile. "I much prefer you as you are now."

Malfoy sighed, slipping an arm beneath her neck, and dragged her closer. "So do I, Granger."

Although she'd kissed him before, she hadn't felt as connected to him as she did in the moment. His hold on her felt strong and secure, and she relaxed in his arms as she peered at him. "Am I allowed to kiss you?"

His lips twitched with humour. "I don't know about _allowed,_ but yes, we can kiss if you want to. Some people do things differently, but all I know is what works for us. Theo doesn't mind what I do as long as I'm honest with him about it, and we typically don't involve someone else unless we're both interested."

Her heart clenched at the words and the realisation that, on some level, they _were_ interested. The thought wasn't as jarring as it had been a few days prior.

A slow, sinful grin spread across his face. "We could fuck in the ocean if you wanted to, and Theo would wish he was here to join the fun, but he wouldn't be _mad_. He just might tease you about it for a while."

Warmth flared in her cheeks at his words, and Hermione glanced away, her core clenching at the thought.

But he threw his head back with a laugh, drawing her a little closer and bringing her face onto his shoulder. "I'm only joking, Granger."

"Sort of," she murmured.

A soft smile lingered on his face as he echoed, "Sort of."

Drawing a breath for courage, Hermione leaned in and captured his lips. The kiss was soft and teasing, his tongue grazing hers as she melted into him. Although his offer held a certain amount of appeal, it felt like leaping from a precipice into the unknown.

But Hermione couldn't deny the intrigue of sleeping with him.

So when he kissed her a little harder, his touches growing more assertive and hands skimming her breasts, a groan slipped from her lips. She snagged his lower lip between her teeth when he grabbed her arse in a hand and hauled her onto his lap.

Malfoy's arousal nudged against her core, setting her own desire aflame, and she ground against him as she kissed him.

"Granger," he groaned, biting down on her earlobe. His breathing was heavy as she stroked him through his shorts. "Merlin, I want to fuck you."

Hermione didn't know how to respond, because to admit her own desire for the same felt like crossing a line. Although both he and Theo had expressed their interest, they were together, and she was simply the outsider. She didn't even know whether she was a good fit―or if she would want to be with them both in the long-term.

"You don't need to overthink it," he whispered, slipping a hand beneath her shirt. As he fidgeted with the lace of her bra, dipping his fingers beneath the fabric, her eyelids fluttered. "It isn't always all three of us. And one time doesn't have to mean anything."

It would be so easy to cave with the way he made her feel―and he had left all of the decisions to her.

As if in conjunction with his words, Draco dropped his hands to stare at her. Hermione's head felt a jumble of desire and indecision, and his expression faltered.

"No pressure," he murmured. "We have an early morning tomorrow."

Maybe it was her nerves about the next morning, or maybe it was as Theo had suggested that afternoon on the boat. That they were simply consenting adults, and this was a new but exciting threshold she longed to explore.

As she considered the thought, she curled her fingers around his hard erection through his shorts, the girth of it both impressive and a little intimidating.

"If I have sex with you," she breathed, "should I have sex with Theo, too?"

"If that's what you want to do," he returned, a breath hitching in his throat when she grasped him more firmly. "We don't keep score, and I don't want you to do anything you're uncomfortable with―but that's the offer. Theo and I together."

Hermione nodded, her gaze drifting up to catch his. "I get it. I would want you both." 

"And you can have us both―together, separately―but I want you to do this at a pace that feels right."

His expression was remarkably straight considering the precarious situation they were in. Briefly, Hermione tried to consider the idea of having sex with them both at once. That morning had been overwhelming enough, when their attentions had both been fixed on her. The thought of each of them entering her―of tending to both of them―left her simultaneously anxious and incredibly turned on.

"Maybe separately, at first," she whispered, ducking in to kiss him again. He had been surprisingly honest with her, so she added with a bit of a titter, "The idea of taking you both at once makes me a little nervous."

Malfoy tugged her shirt over her head in a swift one-handed movement before ducking in to trail a line of kisses along her cleavage.

"We'll work up to it," he promised, tugging the cup of her bra aside to snag her nipple between his teeth. A cry slipped from her mouth unbidden, and she pulled his shorts down his legs to take his length fully in her hand. A low groan broke from his lips as she curled her fingers around his thick cock, giving several languorous pumps.

But Draco's gaze flitted towards the tent, and he drawled, "Hi Theo."

Hermione froze, eyes widening when she saw Theo stifling a yawn as he perched on her vacated former seat. "It's not exactly like you two were being quiet."

Draco only kept teasing her breasts with his hands, however, and he mused, "Granger's decided she wants to start with each of us separately."

"Fair," Theo pronounced, though his eyes flashed. "Mind if I watch?"

As though in a secretive aside, Draco murmured, "Theo loves to watch."

"That's okay," Hermione whispered, encouraged a little by Theo's acceptance of the situation. His eyes seared through her, lips curling with a smirk when she gave Draco's cock another firm stroke.

Draco slipped the button on her shorts, and he kissed her again as he maneuvered them free of her legs. Nerves darted through her as he nudged her knickers aside, slipping two fingers inside of her, and she released a moan when his thumb grazed her clit.

Despite her uncertainty, Theo's approving stare bolstered her desire, and her eyes lingered for a moment when he drew his cock free of his own shorts. Hermione's mouth went dry when he began to stroke himself, and he shot her a wink.

Desire pulsed through her, voracious and deafening as her pulse thudded in her ears, and Hermione shifted when Draco pulled her knickers down her legs. In one tentative movement, she sank down onto him, sheathing him fully within her.

Releasing a low groan, he buried his face in her throat. " _Fuck_ , Granger."

When she pushed herself up, easing down on his significant thickness again, a bright cry chased from her lips.

Her eyelids fluttered as she set an indolent pace, and she found Theo's eyes on her, his lips curled with a teasing smirk. Hermione reached a hand around the back of his head, drawing him in for a kiss as Draco's hardness inside of her set everything within her alight. Theo's lips were firm against her own, and almost unbidden she reached for his cock, curling her fingers around him as his tongue delved into her mouth.

Draco's hands went to her hips, driving her down onto him in a faster pace as she pumped Theo in tandem.

Her heart raced harder than she had ever imagined, her own arousal compounding, and she could feel the edges of an orgasm tease her nerves. Theo released her bra and threw it to the ground, his hands playing with her breasts as he kissed her neck. Draco ducked in, trailing kisses along her jaw before meeting Theo squarely on the mouth.

A tight breath chased from her lips as she tensed, and with a swipe of Draco's thumb between her legs, she came with explosive force, vision darkening with the strength of her orgasm. With a few more thrusts upwards, Draco found his own release as he nudged her fingers free of Theo's cock, and after an assertive pump, Theo came with a groan against her skin.

The energy drained from within her, smooth contentment drifting through her brain. She fell still, sated as heavy breaths chased from her lungs, and a slow smile crept across her face as she gazed at Draco, then at Theo, who planted a kiss to her temple.

Draco leaned forward, kissing her deeply for a moment as he murmured against her lips, "You're amazing."

Hermione flushed at the compliment, carefully withdrawing from him. Before she had time to contemplate what they had done―and how _utterly mind-blowing_ it had been―Theo wrapped his arms around her from behind and hoisted her into the air.

A surprised yelp fell from her lips followed by a laugh, and he carried her into the tent, depositing her into the bed.

Vaguely, she was aware of the soft wash of magic across her skin―contraceptive and cleansing spells―but before she could comprehend anything more, she drifted to sleep, warm and secure between them.

* * *

Theo stirred awake with a wide yawn, stretching his stiff muscles out. He, Granger, and Draco were all somehow entwined, and he untangled himself from the mass of limbs crammed in their small bed in the tent.

He'd certainly been woken in the middle of the night for worse reasons before, and a smile curled his lips at the recollection of what he'd walked in on last night. Kissing each of them on the mouth, Theo rose from bed and dressed for the day.

As he prepared some breakfast for the three of them, Granger drifted into the kitchen area, rubbing at her eyes as she stifled a yawn. "Good morning," she said, offering him a hesitant smile.

"Morning, beautiful," Theo returned. "Breakfast?"

"Please."

"Draco will sleep like the dead, so we'll have to wake him," Theo went on, "but he's a grouch in the mornings, so I like to wait as long as I can."

Granger nodded as she drifted by him, folding her arms across herself. "Anything I can help with?"

Theo turned to face her, noting the awkward tension in her shoulders and the tightness of her jaw. "Hey." When she faced him, Theo took hold of her arms. "Are you okay?"

"Yes." She offered a nod that looked a little too eager. "Of course."

"Hermione..." Theo ducked his chin, meeting her bright eyes. "Are you embarrassed?"

"A little."

"Don't be." When her brows only lifted, he sighed. "Please. I hope I didn't make you uncomfortable by joining in last night."

"No!" She shook her head, chewing her bottom lip. "Not at all. I just―I don't want to cross any lines here, and I'm trying my best to understand all of this. To give it a shot."

Theo's chest tightened. "You're doing so well. I trust Draco, and you can too when it comes to this. I'm not upset, and you didn't cross any lines."

"Draco said it's both of you, and I get that, Theo, and I just don't want to―"

When he cut off her tirade with a kiss, for a brief moment, she sank into his arms. "You're okay," Theo whispered against her lips. "I promise. Draco and I had to navigate all of this when we were learning, and we're going to answer any questions you have, alright? And if at any point you decide this isn't what you want, no problem."

Her face fell even as she sucked in a breath and nodded. "Okay. Thank you for understanding."

"Honestly," Theo went on, dragging a hand through his hair, "I'm happy for you to climb on Draco anytime."

Lips twitching, she leaned in for another kiss. "He speaks so highly of you―and I can see why."

Theo trailed his fingertips along her jaw, snagging one of her loose curls and giving it a tug. "He and I have been through a lot together. And I know we're going to get through anything. Whether it's just us or if we end up with someone else."

Her smile softened. "Do you think you'll get married?"

"No." Theo scrunched up the bridge of his nose. "I don't know but probably not. Having multiple partners is a bit of a sticking point in the legal side of things in the wizarding world, even if it's moderately accepted in society."

"Draco said his parents don't approve."

Theo wondered how much they had talked about the night before, and something within him warmed to realise Granger was giving them a legitimate chance, especially if she cared to get to know Draco after the tumultuous history between them. "They don't, unfortunately. But his mother doesn't care to make a stir in society, so she keeps him at arm's length. And Lucius... well he's going to rot in Azkaban so his opinion doesn't stand for much." Theo squared his jaw. "Draco knows he'll always have me, though."

"It's true," Draco said, swooping into the kitchen and tugging Theo into his arms. He grinned, giving Theo a kiss before turning towards Granger with a wink.

Although she had been so assertive when they'd first come across one another in Anguilla―it felt like so much more time had passed―Theo could still see the hesitation in her stance. He nudged her foot on the floor as he leaned back against the reinforced wall of the tent.

"Granger's feeling a little nervous about what happened last night," Theo quipped.

Colour crept into her cheeks, but she nodded as though recognising the importance of speaking about it. "A little―but Theo put my worries to rest."

"Told you Theo would be okay," Draco said with a smirk. "We'll make it up to him later after we, _Merlin willing,_ make it back from the ruins in one piece."

"Maybe I'm making you both a delicious breakfast in hopes that you'll stay in bed with me all day instead," Theo teased. He poked Granger in the ribs, tugging her flush against his chest. "Surely sex is better than anything you're going to find in those ancient ruins, right?"

"Absolutely." Folding his arms, Draco looked between them with a grin. "But won't it be that much better if we find the treasure first?"

Granger spun in his hold, trailing her fingertips along his arms. "In the vein of no one doing anything they aren't comfortable with, you don't have to come along today if you'd rather stay back. I know you aren't crazy about the idea of going into the ruins."

"She's right," Draco said as he fixed Theo with a hard stare. "I know you're doing this for me, but we honestly have no idea what we're going to be walking into today." Although Theo could see the concern in his stare, he bristled.

"And sit here, waiting to find out if you're going to come back? At what point would I give up and go home, wondering?" Pursing his lips, he shook his head sharply once. "Not a fucking chance. If you're going into a dangerous situation, I'm going into a dangerous situation, too."

Granger beamed at him, her eyes sparkling.

"And besides," Theo huffed, "I'm not letting you two have _all_ the fun together."

Draco snickered, shaking his head. "Okay. Let's eat and get going. The danger awaits us."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!! I'm so grateful to everyone reading this little story xo


	7. Chapter 7

Once again, they'd slept in too late, and as they neared the location where they'd discovered the ruins, the sun was well on its way into the sky. Draco glanced at his watch as they walked, and though the nerves threatened to creep in, he carried on.

Although he had been introspective and moody since they'd begun to trek from their camp, Theo and Granger walked a little ahead of him in quiet conversation.

Draco didn't know if she would fit with them long-term―or if she would even want to―but despite her reservations and fears, she had melded with them remarkably well so far. She had surprised him last night with her willingness to go with the situation.

Especially given the notably unpleasant past between them. For years, Draco had tried to bury his ugly past, carrying forward only the best parts and the lessons he'd learned. And he couldn't deny his own growing interest in the woman. He watched the way she beamed at Theo as though she cared to know him, and Draco's spirits brightened.

So many of their past partners hadn't understood Theo as well as Draco would have liked.

He could be snarky and cunning on the surface, but inwardly he had a heart of gold.

And if Granger could see that as well, she would gain significant points in his book. Although Draco could tell she still had concerns about the situation―and he would have been surprised if she didn't, given her proclivity for knowledge and understanding―she was, almost unbelievably, making the effort.

He thought back to their first run-in on Anguilla and the way she hadn't been remotely keen to see them.

A smirk tugged at his lips. Even if nothing came of it when they went back to London, Draco had enjoyed their time with her so far.

And he couldn't help the slight hope that the small hint of something already there might bloom and grow into something more.

Caught up in his thoughts, he almost didn't notice Granger and Theo come to an abrupt halt ahead of him. He came up between them, peering ahead at the massive, gaping hole that had once been lush forest. It was as intimidating as he remembered, and not for the first time, he wished he had use of his magic. But they'd tested periodically, and as they went further from the camp―and closer to the site―their magic had fizzled and become unruly and then dropped off altogether.

"What now?" Theo asked and crouched down to peer into the hole, dangerously close to the edge.

Heart jolting in his chest, Draco reached an arm around his chest to drag him back a little farther. Granger's eyes followed the movement.

She assessed the situation for a moment, peering down. When they had been there the day before, the daylight had already begun to fade, and the skies had been grey. Draco could see more in the brightness of a new day.

She rummaged in her bag before withdrawing a sturdy length of rope and a long spike. As she fidgeted with one end of the rope, tying a complicated knot to secure it to the stake, Theo stood alongside Draco, and the pair of them observed.

In their preparations the night before, Granger had fashioned harness belts for each of them so they could safely descend.

Following her line of thought, Draco took the stake and stomped it into the ground, ensuring it was firm.

"I'll go," he offered, gaze flitting between them. There wasn't a chance in hell he was going to make Theo go first, and something within Draco didn't want to see Granger hurt either.

But her eyes flashed. "I'll go first. It's because of me that we're all here in the first place."

Theo's face remained blank, as though he didn't want to voice his opinion. It was a testament to the connection he'd already formed with Granger that he didn't instantly jump to Draco's side, even though Draco knew him well enough to read his intent.

And although Draco opened his mouth to argue the point all the same, he could see the challenge flash in her eyes.

"We're only wasting time," she muttered with the slightest tremble in her voice. Frowning, Draco watched on as she affixed the other end of the rope to some sort of metal clips which she secured to her belt. "Realistically, it isn't _that_ far. You should be able to see me once I'm down there, and I'll let you know what I see. If I yank on the rope, _do not_ come down."

Draco didn't care for the plan, and by the grimace on Theo's face, he could tell he wasn't alone.

But it was ultimately her expedition after all, and the pair of them had infringed from the start, so he only nodded. "Fine." Ducking his chin, he met the warm chocolate of her eyes. "Be careful. I'll be down right after you."

For better or worse, they would know what they were up against soon. He felt impotent without the use of his magic; Draco hated the feeling as it crawled across his skin.

Granger clenched her jaw, double checked the strength of both ends of the rope, and slowly began her descent into the ruins below without another word.

"I hate this," Theo breathed at his side as they stood watch over the edge of the crevasse, and Draco drew him closer, brushing a kiss against his temple.

"I know," he murmured. "But it'll be alright. And even if this doesn't work out the way we hoped, we'll go home. I promise."

Theo leaned into the mild contact, blowing out a breath as he hummed to himself. "We should keep her, you know."

A smirk crawled across Draco's face, and he echoed, "I know."

"We haven't found anyone like her in a while." A wicked grin spread across Theo's face. "And she doesn't even hate you for the way you used to treat her."

Draco elbowed him in the side. "Small mercies, right?" But the humour dropped from his face. "That's up to her, Theo. You'll have to turn on the charm."

With a wink, Theo untangled himself. "You know I will." He peered over the edge, and together they watched Granger's small form nearly vanish into the shadowy realm below.

Holding a breath, Draco waited while the tension on the rope slackened, and anxiety roiled within him.

"Granger!" he shouted down into the void. "Are you alright?"

Several long moments passed, Theo statuesque at his side, and Draco released an impatient huff.

"I think it's okay!" she called up, her voice distant and echoing. "Just be careful on your way down!"

The rope clattered against the wall, as though she had unhooked it from herself, and Draco hauled it up from the depths. Theo watched on, his face carefully neutral, as Draco hooked the metal clasp onto his own belt.

He met Theo's hazel eyes, reading the hesitation in his stare before pressing a lingering kiss to his lips.

"I love you," Draco murmured. "I'll see you soon."

Theo swallowed, nodding. "Love you, too."

Then Draco blew out a long breath, searching inward for some shred of courage, and he began his descent into the pit. The wall into the ruins was rocky and uneven, at odds with the earth above, and despite himself, a frisson of exhilaration chased through him.

Carefully, one step at a time, Draco scaled down the wall into the bottom, and he found Granger waiting for him, a little pale but unharmed.

Her fingers grazed his side. "Hi."

Draco glanced her way with a smirk. "Imagine seeing you here." Unhooking the rope, he let it drop against the wall again, and shouted up, "Come on, Theo!"

"Theo really doesn't like this," Granger said quietly at his side when the rope began jumping towards the surface again. "I feel badly that he wants to come along."

"I know." Clenching his jaw, Draco tried to ignore a spasm in his chest. "But he feels like he has to, even though we've both told him he could stay back."

She looped an arm around his back. "I can't tell which of you is more protective of the other." Her voice dropped, a tight smile on her lips. "It's awfully sweet."

Draco cocked a brow. "I'm not sweet, Granger."

"To Theo you are." 

Wrinkling his nose, he conceded a rough, "Maybe so." He tugged her hand into his, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. "He really likes you." She blinked at the abrupt statement, and her head dropped into a tilt. Before Draco could lose his nerve, he added, "And that means a lot to me."

Granger interlaced their fingers, giving his hand a squeeze just as Theo made it to the bottom of the chasm, unhooking the rope from his belt. He turned towards them, that same careful blankness on his face. "Where to now?"

But Draco could see the hard line of his jaw.

He'd hardly looked around when he reached the bottom, but Granger slipped her hand free and ventured a few steps inward. "It looks like we're in some sort of labyrinth. My guess is the waves from the tracking instrument a couple days ago only triggered this edge of the ruins. They go on for some distance from here."

Draco followed her stare, realising the rest of the ruins carried on beneath the surface on the far side of the gaping crevasse. Idly, he wondered whether any of the black magic that had escaped in the cave-in still lingered underground. Most certainly that would be the case, and they still didn't know what it had done other than create a terrifying storm.

They had fled the island before the worst of it hit, and Draco wasn't keen to be trapped in the middle if it happened again. Especially with no way to Disapparate to safety.

As though reading his hesitation, Granger toed the ground. "We can check it out a bit farther and see what we can find. If we don't have to go too far underground that will be for the best."

She rummaged in her endless pack, drawing out three instruments Draco didn't recognise and handed one to each of them. "These will scour the space ahead of us―and below us―for any gaps. They should also be able to pick up on any sudden streaks of magic. And since _our_ magic isn't working―"

"They'll let us know if anything's happening," Theo ground out softly.

Granger's face softened. "Right."

Draco fiddled with the dials on his, turning towards the interior of the ruins. Partially eroded rock formations stood before them, some natural while others looked as though they had been crafted by human hands. A chill crept through him at the thought.

"What was the deal with Artakai anyway?" he asked as they carefully ventured away from the wall. "Why'd he go to all this trouble to keep his treasure safe?"

"He must have been a nutter," Theo said with a snicker.

"He was," Granger mused, her lips twitching. "He was greedy and paranoid and constantly believed everyone was out to get him. No one even knew where he buried the ruins, which is why it took so long to even find this island. But so say the legends... he buried something invaluable in the heart of the ruins―something rarer than gold and jewels, and something that Artakai was willing to die in order to keep secret."

"So it's cursed," Theo bit out.

"It might be." Granger's eyes sparkled at the thought, despite the inherent danger of the situation, and Draco only shook his head.

"You're in luck, Granger." He clicked his tongue as they walked, the rock formations reaching up higher as they walked farther in, and Draco peered closer, curious in spite of everything else. "Theo and I grew up in pure-blood mansions. We know a thing or two about cursed treasures."

Theo chuckled. "He's not lying."

Especially in Nott Manor, one could hardly walk down the corridor without triggering something malicious.

But Granger flashed them each a tentative smile. "That sounds like it'll come in handy."

* * *

Theo had never been keen on the underground. Living in the dungeons at Hogwarts for the majority of eight years had taken significant time and mental real estate for him to grow accustomed to. It never helped that he could see the Black Lake every time he walked through the common room, a stark reminder that the walls could come closing in but for a pane of glass and some magic. 

Even with Draco at his side, nerves chased down the length of his spine, and he kept needing to remind himself he was technically out in the open.

They hadn't reached the end of the crevasse yet even though they'd been walking nearly half an hour. But they had dawdled, taking their time in exploring the ruins thoroughly.

Every so often, Granger would stop to check one of her magical devices, testing the air and the ground, and Theo didn't even know what _exactly_ she was looking for.

Despite himself, he was curious.

Some of the structures looked at though they had once been buildings, crumbling and overgrown though they were. As if the earth had reclaimed what had once existed.

As if the ruins had originally existed above ground and had been relocated to this strange burial below ground.

Draco's grey eyes flitted towards his, his face cast in deep shadow from the uneven lighting above. "Are you alright?"

"Yes," Theo replied instantly, pacing along at his side. He drew in a deep breath, attempting to force his heart to relax. "Just fine."

Cocking a skeptical brow―because he knew Theo better than anyone―Draco fell silent. Theo was glad he opted not to press, especially when the nature of being so far below the sea level left him queasy to begin with. Never mind the ominous air that surrounded the entire expedition.

Peering at one of the more human-made looking structures, Theo felt his brow knit. It looked like a simple house with two rooms, and he could still see the outline of the doorway though half of it had broken apart.

"Who do you reckon lived here?" Theo asked in an effort to keep his mind off of the incessant nerves.

Hermione fell back alongside him. "The details aren't well known, but at one point in time, Artakai was the ruler of a great and ancient magical society. The Ruins of Artakai are thought to be what remains of his kingdom. But no one knows what exactly happened because the entire thing is veiled in secrecy.

"Like why he moved his entire society underground," Draco drawled, tensing as he gazed through one destroyed wall.

The whole scene reminded Theo of something surreal from a book, and he couldn't help but wonder whether anyone had still been alive when the ruins were buried. A shudder darted through him and Draco's eyed landed on him once more.

Chewing her lower lip, Granger walked on, though her face carried a mixture of wonder and apprehension. "We already know Artakai lost his mind at some point in time. But according to every source that's ever studied the society, the treasure is buried within the heart of the ruins." She cast the pair of them an apologetic smile. "It's really quite remarkable that we've discovered this at all."

"Wonderful," Theo quipped, tugging at his collar.

He didn't care about the treasure; he cared about making it out alive.

At last the ground before them began to darken, and Theo could see the forest floor overhanging their way forward. The physics of it made no sense, as though the whole thing were still reinforced above them with some strange magic. And in Theo's limited knowledge about ancient forms of earth magic, he knew he didn't care to mess with it.

Practitioners from millennia long gone utilised strange magic and even stranger rituals. Blood magic and spirits from within the ground and ritual sacrifices. Methods long out of fashion but for the most devout who kept their practice concealed under threat of incarceration.

In the vague, shadowy darkness ahead, Theo could see the structures go on and on.

"Why do you suppose the whole thing didn't cave in?" Draco asked, peering up at the dark shadowy cliff overhead. "It seems quite arbitrary."

Hermione shrugged, coming to a halt. "It's difficult to say, isn't it? It wasn't technically a cave-in, since all the land that would have covered this simply vanished. It's almost as though it were..." 

As she trailed off, shaking her head, Theo huffed, "A mirage." The three of them fell silent, tension roiling in the space between them, and Theo rolled out his shoulders. "Like the collapse you triggered simply lifted the magic that had been concealing this stretch from view."

When Granger's eyes settled on his, Theo offered his best effort at a smile. "At any rate, we have a decision to make."

The second last thing Theo wanted to do was to proceed further underground when even being out in the open left him a nervous wreck, but the absolute _last_ thing he wanted was for Draco to go on without him. So he steeled himself with a deep breath.

"Right," Draco mused, glancing at Granger, though his face was far from certain either. "I guess we'll need to go below ground if we're looking for the heart of the ruins."

But she grimaced, staring hard at the ground in thought. "I can't help but wonder whether we would only find more of the same. If the _heart_ ―and Artakai's treasure―are _beneath_ us." She bent down, placing her instrument on the ground, and the three of them watched as it whirred and spun, a low hiss breaking free.

Theo didn't know what any of that meant, but he couldn't imagine it was good news.

"It means the ground below us is hollow," she whispered.

Draco's naturally alabaster complexion paled. "And how are we meant to get down there? We can't use our magic, so it isn't as if we can simply blast a hole."

Granger looked at him as though affronted. "This is an historic site. Even if we _could_ blast a hole, we wouldn't."

He smirked, nudging her in the arm. "Not even for the treasure?"

She looked at him in a way that was so reminiscent of their days at Hogwarts that Theo laughed despite himself. Her lips twitched, though, and she huffed, "Of course not. There must be a passage down somewhere."

"Unless Artakai sealed it," Theo offered. "To keep people like us out."

"Let's hope not." Draco shook his head with a wince. "I don't care to activate any sealing spells."

They shared a quick look, and Theo knew well enough what was going through his mind, because they'd both seen the consequences of a sealing charm gone wrong. It was dark blood magic, even in modern times, and Theo didn't care to know what this ancient, insane king might have done to protect his hoard.

Granger chewed on her lower lip, glancing between them, as though she didn't quite know what to make of the situation. "Unless we want to go back to the surface and call it a day, we'll need to proceed onward." Her gaze sought Theo's, brows knitting. He wondered whether he was so obvious in his discomfort. "Below the ground."

"Fine," Theo breathed, pursing his lips. "Let's just get it over with, then."

While the sun still shone overhead, the ruins ahead of them were almost completely black, the earth―or shroud of illusory magic―still concealing what lay there from the light.

The thought niggled in the back of Theo's mind, and he came to an abrupt halt. "What if this magic gets triggered like the rest did? And turns into that terrible black cloud."

"Then at least we'll be able to see," Draco said, clapping Theo on the shoulder as he flicked on one of Granger's Muggle flashlights. Theo rolled his eyes with a scowl.

But as they paced on, the utter, stifling silence left Theo more anxious than if the air would have erupted around them. In the back of his mind, Granger's warning that they could turn into dust still danced around. He could only hope it would be quick.

Sliding his hands into his pockets, Theo walked along at Draco's side, every small noise causing his eyes to dart about, and he could feel the rapid pulse of his heart in his throat. Even Granger looked nervous, her entire being laden with tension as she fell into step at Theo's other side.

The ruins in the next stretch were doused in complete blackness other than the thin shafts of light from the two flashlights, but otherwise they carried on like the rest had done: rough-hewn cobbled structures in some semblance of a grid, with vines and plants overgrown along the surfaces.

Nature always had a way of reclaiming the land, and human possession was an illusion.

Theo wondered whether anyone would ever find their bodies.

The air was thick and heavy with dust particles dancing in the light. Theo had once read that most dust was dead skin cells, and he clamped his mouth shut.

Suddenly Draco came to a halt, his arm swinging out in front of Theo on instinct, and Theo nearly stumbled when he grappled for Granger's hand. But Draco's gaze was fixed ahead. "Look at that."

In the centre of the path, an intricate pattern in the cobbles led to a wide opening. The twin beams from the flashlights danced across the gap, and Theo released a sharp breath. "Looks like you'll get your passage into the next level after all."

Though it was old and half destroyed, it was unmistakably a staircase.

Theo gulped, wrenching a hand through his hair; every instinct within him wanted to turn and go back.

"Do we go down?" Granger whispered, her voice carrying on an ominous air in the enclosed space.

Although he'd done his best to go along with the situation so far, Theo couldn't help but mutter "What's the alternative?"

Draco's fingers curled around his shoulder with a reassuring squeeze. "The alternative is that we retreat."

"We could go down," Granger hedged, "take a look around, and decide from there. If it doesn't look like something we _all_ want to confront, we don't have to."

Theo didn't want to be the reason either of them decided to go back, and he attempted to swallow the thick lump of fear in his throat. If they were able to use their magic, the situation would have been entirely different. As it was, he drew his wand and attempted a simple _Lumos_ ―just to be sure. But they all watched as nothing happened, and Theo gave a stiff nod.

"Fine," he said, releasing a breath. "Let's take a look."

He knew he didn't have it in him to ask either of them to give up on the search based on a bad feeling in his mind.

But Granger pressed up on her toes, brushing her lips against his cheek, and she whispered, "We don't have to do this."

Theo drew momentary comfort from the easy touch and offered her a smirk. "Told you―I'm not letting you have all the fun."

Although if there was any fun in this situation, Theo had yet to see it.

Her fingers simply slipped between his, and Theo gave her hand a squeeze. Casting each of them a look, Draco ventured towards the staircase, placing a cautious foot onto the first step, and his gaze lingered on Theo when nothing happened. Draco carried onward, and clinging to Granger's hand like a vise, Theo followed.

The air grew musty and damp as they walked down, the rancid scent of natural decay hanging on the air, and in the distance something dripped, as though there was an underground lake.

If Theo hadn't been so concerned with the idea of hidden, ominous magic, he would have felt differently. He had explored dark, damp places before, and he channeled that thought to the top of his mind as they reached the bottom of the staircase.

"Do you think this is the heart of the ruins?" Draco asked, his voice a quiet hush, like he didn't care to disturb what might have existed below the rest.

"Might be," Granger whispered back, untangling her fingers from Theo's at last. She took a few steps forward, bouncing the flashlight around the darkness, and Theo could vaguely make out the walls in the distance. "It's not nearly as wide down here."

The thought―along with the hope that anything that might have once been alive down here was no longer so―was enough for Theo to release a thick breath that had lodged itself in his throat.

"Maybe it's fine," he offered. "And maybe all the legends were just to deter would-be thieves."

He took a step forward, venturing deeper into the subterranean cavern along the beam of Draco's flashlight.

But he froze, a breath catching in his throat at the slightest hint of a tremour.

"Theo," Granger breathed; all three of them went still.

The ground beneath his feet quaked, the sensation so reminiscent of the way the earth had caved in days prior, that terror seized his heart, paralysing him to the spot.

"Theo," Draco snapped, "let's go!"

Feet scrambled to the staircase behind him as Theo's gaze roved the darkness, but he didn't even dare draw breath.

The dripping in the distance amplified, a dull hum growing then shifting into a distant roar.

_"Theo!"_

A hand curled around his arm, tugging him towards the staircase, and Theo blinked, snapping free of the moment as he ran, scaling the steps two at a time. If they had triggered the same quake as before and the magic was going to break free―

They broke from the stairs into the main level of the ruins and ran for the entrance where the rope was still secured to the surface.

There was no way they would get there in time and all get back to the surface before the magical storm broke out into the air. Without their magic, there was no way to Disapparate this time, and Theo didn't dare look behind him as the three of them broke into a full sprint towards the wall.

"Granger, you go," Draco hissed, his breathing heavy as they reached the wall in a fraction of the time it took for them to explore the ruins on their way in.

"You go first," she said, offering him the clip.

"You're wasting time," Theo snapped, folding as he drew in a lungful of air. "Draco, take Granger up. The rope should be strong enough to hold you both. I'll come up after."

"Theo―"

" _Go!_ "

The only thing that Theo feared more than death was losing Draco.

He caught Draco's anxious stare, ducking his chin, and whispered, "Please. I'll be up right after."

Although an agonised grimace flickered across Draco’s face, he nodded, tugging Granger into his chest as he clipped into the rope, and with some effort, began to hoist both of them up to the surface.

Alone in the ruins, Theo could hear the roar of his pulse, adrenaline racing through his veins. Despite everything within him urging him to flee, he cast a glance over his shoulder.

The ruins had become eclipsed by a cloud of the black, insidious magic, seeping towards him like a potent cloud of dark energy. Fear clenched his heart, moisture stinging his eyes and blurring his vision.

His entire being felt hot, and breaths chased from his lungs as he turned back. He could see Draco and Granger nearing the surface, but there wasn't time. The magic would surely reach him before he managed to escape, if there was even time before the rope dropped back down.

But they would be able to get free.

They could get far enough away to escape the magic that Theo surely wouldn't.

He clapped a hand to his mouth, a strangled sound of relief breaking free when he saw them clamber up onto the surface.

Moments later, the rope went slack, and then fell back down.

The entirety of the ruins behind him had filled with the magic, crackling and hissing as it approached. The sunshine above was almost completely blotted out by unnaturally black clouds. Within minutes, the sky had fallen black as night.

_"THEO!_ Come on!"

With trembling hands, Theo secured the clip onto the harness belt Granger had fashioned for each of them, but there was no way he would reach the surface in time. The ominous magic trawled the crevasse walls, flowing onward like a slow marching river, but mercifully contained by the overhanging earth on the far side.

Even as the thought passed his mind, the rest of the overhang collapsed into nothing and the magic began to drift upwards, filling the distant forest.

Managing a tight swallow, Theo began an unsteady ascent. The wall felt uneven beneath his feet, as though the magic―or the mirage of it―sought to keep him prisoner.

"Go!" he shouted up, beholden to the tears that broke free and tracked down his cheeks as he pulled himself up with as much strength as he could muster. But his muscles felt fatigued, his entire body depleted of strength as the magic seeped into the air around him and drew at the breath in his lungs.

His fingers could hardly stand to grip the rope anymore, his eyelids so heavy they began to droop shut.

He opened his mouth to shout, to plead for them to _please go,_ but the words only fell out as a rasp from his burning throat. His hands shook like the quaking of the earth, and vaguely he could hear shouting in the distance, but it was as though everything was through water. Blinking rapidly several times, Theo found the world a blur. Gritting his teeth, he fumbled blindly for the rope, his hand shaking so hard it was a wonder he hadn't simply fallen back down.

But he felt a tug on the harness, some sort of vague movement along his centre of gravity, and Theo wondered if he was falling. His hands felt useless, his entire body spent of energy as his eyes fell shut.

His cheek hit something hard and rough; he must have fallen down after all, the rope fraying under the creeping strength of the magic that had seized his own. Hands reached beneath him, and his centre shifted again, but he could hardly open his eyes.

His feet dragged along, legs collapsing beneath his own weight, and he lost track of time and direction entirely.

Something yanked him, like an external force. The effort of drawing breath was too much, his cheeks dry of moisture that no longer fell from his eyes as his body began to shut down.

And Theo knew no more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI thanks for reading! *runs away*


	8. Chapter 8

Anguish wrenched at Hermione's heart as she paced, arms wrapped across her front. Draco sat on the sofa against the wall, his face buried in his hand and eyes red-rimmed but dry.

They'd had no choice but to attempt an overseas Apparition back to Anguilla and to call for an emergency healer from the nearest magical hospital. Within a warded hotel suite, they'd waited for nearly two hours for the healer's determination, and guilt had stung at her heart the entire time.

All they knew was that Theo was alive.

But the magic from the ruins had nearly consumed him, shutting down his bodily functions from the inside out, and it was a wonder they had got him out in time. He'd been an inarticulate mess, unable to stand or speak and trembling violently by the time Draco had hauled him the rest of the way to the surface. It had taken everything within her to summon enough magic to get them free of the island.

Draco looked up at last, blowing out a long breath. He clenched his jaw in such a hard line that Hermione feared he would shatter his teeth.

Hermione stared at him, misery tugging at her brow as she whispered, "I am so sorry."

"We agreed to go deeper," he said, voice hoarse with pain. "And we almost―" He cut himself off, shaking his head. "I'll never forgive myself for letting him come along if he doesn't pull through. He _didn't even want_ ―"

Tears stung at her eyes. "He wanted to go back."

"But he came for us." Draco's grey eyes haunted her, searing through her, and he scrubbed a hand down his face. "Merlin, I need him to be okay."

Hermione sank down beside him, taking his hand into both of hers with a firm grip. There was nothing else to say, and Hermione dropped her face into his shoulder as the pair of them waited in silence.

At last, the healer emerged from the bedroom in the suite, his face grim. "He's awake." But the words didn't sound positive as she sucked in a sharp breath. "I don't know what sort of magic he took in, and without knowing that, I can't treat him fully. But I was able to get most of it out of his system, and as far as I can tell, he's going to be fine."

The healer placed a series of vials on the coffee table in front of them. "This brew will help him recover his strength and magic―every eight hours for the next two days and Mister Nott should be alright."

Hermione could feel the visceral relief in Draco's body as he released her hand and rose to shake the healer's hand. She stood as well, wringing her hands.

"Thank you," he bit out, the lines of his face drawn with sorrow. "We appreciate your help." He handed the man a bag of coins with a healthy jangle, and the man nodded before handing him a slip of cardstock in return.

"My Floo connection," the healer announced, adjusting his glasses. "If something changes or you need further assistance." The man’s face darkened. “Perhaps you’ll watch yourselves on some of the outlying islands in this region; strange magic has a tendency to linger.”

"Thank you," Hermione breathed as well as she exchanged a look with Draco, and with a nod, the man Disapparated.

Draco caught her stare, knocking gently on the door before he walked in anyway. Hermione followed along, feeling as though she didn't quite know her place in the situation.

Although his expression was far from the jovial one she had come to know, Theo sat upright in the bed, blankets up to his waist. He fixed each of them with a banal smile.

"So that was fun," he prompted, lips twitching.

"Theo, you prat," Draco huffed, perching on the bed. "Don't you _ever_ fucking scare me like that." But his voice trembled on the words, and he thinned his lips.

Theo grazed Draco's jaw with his fingertips, and his gaze flitted to Hermione. "You two saved me. I don't even... I can't remember what happened at the end."

"We hauled your incoherent arse out, and I thought you were fucking dead," Draco muttered.

The humour fell from Theo's face, replaced by a soft furrow in his brow. "All I remember is trying to climb, and the magic was―"

"It was killing you," Hermione whispered, tears springing to her eyes as she sat on the other side of the bed, reaching for his hand. "Theo, I'm so sorry―we should have gone back."

Draco nodded. "We should never have pushed you to go on. Granger and I talked about it, and we're going to leave the ruins alone. Once you're better, we'll go home. It was never worth _this_."

A sad smile quirked Theo's lips. "But you were both so excited."

Giving his hand a gentle squeeze, Hermione shook her head. "Whatever's down there isn't worth anyone's life. The Ruins of Artakai should have remained a mystery. And they will. We'll be sure to bury them again."

Theo scoffed. "You can't do that. Maybe now the magic's dispersed the ruins will be safe. Who knows?"

"It isn't worth it," Draco repeated. "You and I are going home."

"Same. It was a bit of a game, trying to see what we could learn―but today it all became too real." A frown pulled at Hermione’s lips as she stared between them.

Although Theo looked as though he meant to say something more, he simply tugged her hand to his mouth. "Okay." But then his lips curved into a smile. "It feels too much like a hospital here. Can we go back to the camp for our last night?"

"Yeah," Draco said with a smirk. "We can."

* * *

Hermione stared into the fire alone, heart torn as she debated her options. After what happened with Theo, she had no intention of going back into the ruins. Even if that cave held what they were searching for, she didn't know how she could return. And even if Theo's suspicion was correct―that without Artakai's protective magic, the ruins would be harmless―she didn't care to test it.

The issue was how much she wanted to reveal to the world.

The ruins were far from a tourist destination, and for the sake of the people of the region, they would be best left alone.

She glanced up as Draco emerged from the tent, collapsing into the seat beside her. He planted a hand to her thigh, drawing idle patterns on her leg as he released a long breath.

"How's he doing?" she asked, glancing sidelong at him.

"Okay." He still looked distraught―exhausted. "He's okay. I just... I can't believe we almost lost him."

Hermione planted a hand atop his on her leg. "It isn't your fault."

"If I hadn't gone―"

"If you hadn't gone up with me, we could have been in that situation, too. We didn't have time to debate the matter, and it could have gone several ways, but Theo made the decision." She caught his stare. "Probably because he couldn't stand the thought of you being hurt."

Draco visibly flinched, his eyes drifting to the fire. "That's why I feel guilty. Because he was willing to sacrifice himself to make sure we got to safety." A hoarse, humourless laugh fell from his lips. "If that doesn't tell you well enough how much I _don't_ deserve him."

"Please don't," she whispered. "You can't carry this."

He leaned in, lips brushing her temple. "I have to. At least for now." He tilted her head upwards, lips seeking her own, and Hermione drew comfort from the growing familiarity of his kisses as he murmured against her mouth, "I hope we see you again―if we go home tomorrow."

Hermione swallowed, the weight of the request heavy on her heart. She wasn't ready to walk away from the new but startling connections with both of them. Nodding, she breathed, "You will."

He took her face in both hands, deepening the kiss, and Hermione's heart clenched in her chest. At last, he drew back, resting his temple against her own. "Good."

Allowing her eyelids to flutter, Hermione carded a hand through his hair. "Should I go check on Theo?"

"He'd like that." He caught her hand as she shifted forward in her seat. "He might be a little quiet―Theo tends to shut down when something happens that he doesn't know how to deal with. But he's okay."

Offering him a smile, Hermione rose from her seat and made for the tent. Although the hotel room would have offered far more amenities, it felt right to spend their last night back on the island―safely away from the ruins.

When she walked into the small bedroom in the tent, she found Theo seated on the bed, fiddling with a colourful cube. Hermione folded her legs beneath herself on the bed, watching as he twisted the rows with intense focus.

"Isn't that a Muggle toy?"

"It is," he said distractedly as he twisted one part and then the inverse side. "After the war―after my father died―I had to go through a mental health assessment with a mind healer. She gave me this stupid thing." He chuckled, finally looking up as he brandished it towards her. "It helps when I'm anxious―to keep my hands and mind busy."

Hermione took the cube, peering at it with an odd sense of nostalgia. "My parents gave me one of these when I was young. Have you ever solved it?"

"Nah. I just like to mess around with it." His hazel eyes drifted up to hers. "You haven't mentioned your parents at all. I hope it isn't because you think we don't want to talk about Muggles."

Despair forced a sad smile. "They're in Australia. During the war, I removed myself from their memories so they wouldn't be a target when I went on the run with Harry and Ron." Theo's face drew into a deep frown, and she added, "They don't remember me. But they're alive."

"Hermione..." Theo swept a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," she said, glancing away with a tight inhale. "I've had time to come to terms with it."

He ducked his chin, reaching up to tuck a curl behind her ear. "My mum died when I was six. As far as I remember, she was lovely. Don't know how she ever put up with a rotter like my father, but she didn't have much of a choice in the matter. He killed her."

"Theo," Hermione gasped, moisture stinging at her eyes in an instant. "How awful―I'm so sorry."

As he glanced away, thoughtfulness lingering in his face, he shrugged. "I sort of remember her, but not really. I only remember that she loved me but not in any real detail. My father only wanted an heir. Pity for him I turned out such a disappointment."

A wry, mischievous smile tugged at his lips.

Despite herself, Hermione smiled in return. "I don't think you're a disappointment at all. In fact, I think you're wonderful."

"You're going to make me blush." His smile grew teasing, and he tugged her into his chest as he laid back on the bed. Gazing at her, he sobered. "Thank you for saving me today."

"I'm sorry we pressed on so far," she breathed. "We shouldn't have forced you to come."

"You didn't force me." His lips brushed hers, soft and barely-there. "I wanted to come along. I just don't like tight underground spaces or creepy fucking caverns."

Hermione kissed him again, basking in the playful air between them as she grinned. "I don't really like creepy fucking caverns either."

Theo chuckled, dragging his teeth along her jaw. "Well you're a hell of a lot braver than I am." His legs tangled with hers as he smoothed a hand down her spine to her arse, and he pressed a kiss below her ear. "I'm not very brave at all."

"I thought you were brave today," she whispered. "It isn't the absence of fear, but pressing on in the face of it."

His eyes lingered on hers when he drew back, his hand absently teasing the curve of her hip and arse, and a soft smile played across his lips again. "I'm lucky to have two people who wanted to make sure I got out safely."

The words jolted her chest, and she realised the truth of it. Almost unbelievably, in only a matter of days, she had come to care about each of them. She kissed him again, shifting closer on the bed. "And we were lucky you were _brave_ enough to make a tough decision."

"Now you're just teasing me," he snickered, deepening the kiss and delving between her lips.

Hermione skimmed a hand along his shoulder with a whispered, "Am not."

Her core tightened with his tantalising touches, and she reached for the hem of his shirt, tugging it over his head. Theo smirked, rolling so he was above her, and stared down. "You're fucking beautiful, you know."

She only kissed him again, basking in the gentle pressure of his body above hers. Theo broke from the kiss only to pull her shirt free, leaving her in her bra, and he fidgeted with the closure of her shorts while Hermione reached for the button of his jeans. She pushed them from his hips, and he toed them the rest of the way off, trailing a line of kisses along her jaw and throat.

"You don't have to do this," he murmured below her ear, even as he ground his arousal against her core.

But her every nerve flared with awareness of him as she tugged her shorts free. Snagging his earlobe between her teeth, she whispered, "I want to―if you're feeling up to it."

"Hermione," Theo huffed with a bit of a snicker. "I'm never _not_ up to it. There's your first and only lesson about Theo and sex."

A laugh burst free as he removed her bra, grazing her chest with his lips and tongue, and he caught one nipple between his lips as he tweaked the other with his fingers. A cry broke free as she arched up into his capable touch.

"Draco's made you come twice now," he murmured against her skin before his eyes snapped up to meet hers. "Not that I'm counting."

She tittered, basking in the sheer awareness of him as she bit down on her lip. "I'm all yours."

Theo shifted back up, tugging her lip free with his thumb before kissing her again. "I _really_ like the sound of that." The slow teasing between them turned her on almost more than she could comprehend, in stark contrast to the heated exchange the night before with Draco. But she was coming to know each of them, the nuance and the subtleties that made them unique.

And they both appealed to her more than she ever could have imagined.

Hermione grabbed his arse, grinding against him through their underwear, and he groaned in her ear. "I want to taste you, but I also want to fuck you into the mattress."

Her core clenched, arousal flooding her at his words, and Hermione dipped a hand beneath the waist of his shorts, taking his hard length in her hand. When he buried his face in her throat, his breathing hot and enticing, Hermione pushed his shorts free with her other hand and he tossed them to the floor.

His eyes caught hers, lips parted with heavy breaths as she pumped him, slow and deliberate.

She shifted, tugging her own knickers down. Quirking a smile, she breathed, "I like the second one for tonight."

Then she dragged him closer, guiding his cock between her folds, and he thrust into her with a groan.

"You're incredible," Theo whispered, catching her lips in another deep kiss as he drew out and slammed back into her. A cry broke from her lips, and Hermione clung to his shoulders as he set a teasing pace, thrusting hard into her. It was enough to drive her wild, arching into him as he gripped her hip hard enough to bruise.

Hermione clung to the muscle of his shoulders with a quiet, " _Faster_ , Theo."

A teasing grin spread across his face as he increased the rhythm, his cock large enough to fill her completely with every movement of his hips, and jumbled cries fell from her lips with each punishing thrust. "Fuck yes," she groaned, nearly incoherent with sheer awareness of him and the pleasure coursing through her.

He went still faster and harder, at odds with his gentle teasing touches, and tension built within her, edging towards release. Dragging her nails down his back as he drew her even closer, his lips meeting hers with searing kisses, Hermione fell over the edge with a cry of his name, pleasure overwhelming as it flooded her entire being.

With a few last thrusts, Theo followed her into orgasmic bliss, a heavy breath falling against her cheek as he stilled.

A thin sheen of perspiration coated his temple when she stared up at him, heart racing and breaths falling rapidly from her lips.

He carefully withdrew from within her, casting a few spells, before settling at her side.

A soft, sated smile lingered on his lips as he pulled the covers up around them both, and he planted a soft kiss to her lips. Theo pulled her back against his chest, his hands playing idly with her breasts as his knees tucked in behind hers. Fully lost to him, Hermione felt her eyelids flutter under the gentle touches.

Some time later, she was aware of Draco slipping into bed on Theo's other side, one of his hands grazing her hip, and Hermione's mind felt entirely at ease as she drifted into sleep.

* * *

"Granger!"

As Draco rummaged through the closet in the tent, she peered into the room, brows high on her forehead. "Yes?"

"Come on," he muttered, pulling two brooms free from behind some clothes. "We're going for a fly."

Granger balked, her face pale as she shifted on the spot. "What for?"

"What do you mean, what for? We're just going for a fly."

"All of us?"

Ducking his chin, Draco fixed her with a hard stare. "Theo isn't coming. He doesn't feel up to it." Her face softened, lips drawn, but still she eyed him with apprehension, and Draco's eyes narrowed. "Don't tell me you're still afraid of being on a broom after all these years."

She clicked her tongue, leaning against the threshold as she folded her arms. "I'm not _afraid_. I just don't care for it is all."

"I'd say we can walk, but for what I want to try, we really can't." He paced a few steps towards her, meeting her eye. "Please?"

He could see the indecision in her face, and for a brief moment, he was drawn back to seventh year, flying for their lives through flaming towers of rubbish. Draco tugged her hand into his, drawing her closer. "Is it better to fly with me?"

Although her eyes remained guarded, she released a sigh. "It might be―as long as you don't do anything crazy. You fly like a maniac."

A grin spread across his face. "Thanks, Granger. I'll take that as a compliment. _But_ that's Quidditch. You'll be safe, I promise."

"Fine," she said, relenting at last. "But if you try to fly over the ocean, I might get sick."

"No oceans," he murmured, pressing a lingering kiss to her lips. "Now grab your wand, and let's go."

Ten minutes later, Draco grinned to himself as he flew with an abundance of caution―to the point where he began to wonder whether the momentum of the broom wouldn't hold it in the air―but finally the tension began to seep away from Granger's stiff form.

She hadn't been lying that flying made her nervous, and she had sat like a statue in front of him, rigid and still, before finally sinking back into his hold. Draco kept one hand on the handle ahead of her, the other wrapped around her middle so she would feel steady, and idly he trailed his fingers along her sternum.

"Where are we going?" she asked, her voice a little breathy as it carried on the slight breeze towards him.

The sky was bright blue again after the magical release of the day before, which answered some of Draco's questions about how it interacted with the environment. Both times, when the magic had broken free, it had been accompanied by a great expulsion of energy―in the form of the darkness that had eclipsed the island―and then dissipated, clearing up.

"I can't help but wonder," he murmured, slipping a hand beneath the hem of her shirt, "whether Theo's theory was right. If the warding magic was the only danger in the ruins after all."

She shifted a little in his hold, peering cautiously over one shoulder. "I thought we agreed we didn't want to go back into the ruins."

"I don't," Draco murmured, propping his chin on her shoulder when she faced ahead again. "But I know it's important to you to understand for your research―and I don't want this trip to be entirely for naught."

Her brows furrowed, eyes flitting sidelong to his again, and she offered a thin smile. "Thank you. I really appreciate that."

"So I figured," Draco went on, tightening his hold on her as he teased the lace of her bra, "we'd have a better view of what's going on down there from the sky, and hopefully we can get far enough from the ruins that we can still use magic."

It was much quicker to reach the ruins by broom than on foot, and if they hadn't been so dependent on the vibrations of the magic in the earth, it might have made more sense before. From an aerial view, the drop into the ruins was remarkable.

A breath caught in his throat as he looked down, the walls of the earth carved out below them like a clean line. Then the plummeting drop into the stone ruins, half-buried and overgrown. He couldn't see the details of it from so high up, but the earth that overhung the far end of the ruins from where they had entered had completely vanished.

As he circled the broom around, he realised the other side was now fully revealed.

"So whatever we triggered in the cave below the ruins," Granger mused, "must have released the rest of Artakai's protective magic." She shook her head as though in fascination. "Whether it was simply contained within a certain radius or something else."

"Makes as much sense as any other theory," Draco murmured.

Spiralling in a little closer, Draco thought the ruins looked rather innocuous now.

Despite knowing the magic within had nearly killed the person he loved most in the world. His jaw hardened at the thought.

"They look peaceful," Granger breathed, drawing her wand. When she cast a few consecutive spells, each one flying forth with precision, she caught his stare. "You were right―we're far enough away for our magic to still function from here." She hesitated, and Draco wondered whether they were sharing a thought, until she added, "Unless Theo was right. And now that the protective magic has lifted, the danger has gone."

Draco sucked in a breath, blowing it out in a heavy exhale. "But what if it hasn't."

"Yeah."

She settled back into his hold, her eyelids sliding briefly shut when Draco palmed her breast, dropping a kiss to her jaw.

"I still don't think I want to go back in," he said quietly beside her ear.

"Neither do I," she said.

Draco swallowed a thick lump in his throat. "Even if it means you never find out what's actually down there?"

For a long moment, Granger didn't respond, and Draco wondered how strongly the quest for knowledge waged within her. He slid his hand down along her stomach, releasing the closure of her shorts, and grazed his fingers along the fabric of her knickers.

A soft breath fell from her lips as she shifted to better accommodate him.

"Yes," she managed on a tight breath. "It's okay if I never know. After yesterday..."

"Yeah." Draco nudged her knickers out of the way, slipping two fingers between her legs. Idly, he wondered when she would stop him.

"This is terribly unsafe.” Her words grew shaky when he brushed her clit.

With a grin, Draco muttered, "You'll be perfectly fine. Do you want me to stop?"

When she didn't answer right away but for a heavy exhale, he slid his fingers between her already moist folds. A soft groan broke from her mouth as he set a slow, teasing rhythm.

At last she whispered, "No. But if you drop me into the ruins, I'm never forgiving you."

Draco barked a laugh, dropping a kiss to her cheek, and she turned her face to meet his lips. He murmured, "Deal," before deepening the kiss, catching her tongue.

She kissed him with growing voracity as Draco increased his pace, his fingers sliding into her tight heat, and when he grazed her clit with his thumb, her walls fluttered, a cry breaking free against his lips. When she stilled, her chest heaving a little, her eyes slid open to meet his.

"I swear the two of you are insatiable," she said, though if Draco wasn't mistaken, her voice carried a note of fondness.

"You're catching on," he muttered, drawing his fingers free and licking her juices from the digits one at a time. Her eyes followed the movement, and her throat shifted with a heavy swallow.

She stared at him for a moment longer, the broom hovering of its own volition above the ruins, and something faltered in her face. "What would it be like? When we get back to London?"

Draco pursed his lips. "That depends on what you want."

"If I want this." Her brows knitted. "If I want to give it a shot―with both of you."

A gentle smile tugged at his lips, and he planted another kiss to her temple. "It would be like this, but with more distractions. Not everyone will accept it―and I can't speak for your friends, but I can only imagine they won't take it particularly well."

She didn't balk from the thought, chocolate eyes lingering on his. "Probably not," she admitted, "but it isn't their decision to make."

Draco ducked his chin, his heart stuttering at her words. "We would take it a step at a time. Theo and I want you to be comfortable, and it can be a big adjustment."

"I want to try," she breathed, and despite the fear in her stare, Draco believed her.

"Then we'll do our best to make it work."

Granger nodded, and a bright smile crept across her face. "Okay. I think I'd like that."

"Good."

The warmth in her eyes jolted straight through to his heart. Maybe Draco had already grown more attached than he thought.

"Draw your wand," he said, pulling her back into his chest, "and we're going to make sure no one stumbles across these ruins again."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't have it in me to actually harm Theo, friends. Thanks so much for your interest in this story! All of our wonderful comments give me a huge stupid grin. <3


	9. Chapter 9

Theo couldn't pinpoint the exact time when things changed. All he knew was that his existence in London felt a little different after they returned home from the Caribbean.

For years, he and Draco had worked easily together. Draco had the Potions Mastery, while Theo had the proclivity to deal with clients, and together they'd operated a successful apothecary. But now things simply felt stilted.

At Draco's insistence, Theo had visited a healer at St Mungo's upon returning home to verify the magic in the ruins hadn't somehow negatively affected him or his magical core, but as far as he could tell, he felt as he always had. And they'd returned to life.

Hermione had ultimately returned home with them, although Theo hadn’t been certain whether she would decide to stay and further investigate the ruins after all. But according to Draco, the pair of them had cast the most extensive disillusionment, concealment, and Muggle-repellent charms they knew.

Theo wasn't certain how he felt about that.

Obviously _he_ had no great desire to go back into the ruins that had nearly claimed his life, but the pair of them had been so caught up in the academic curiosity of it that Theo worried they had returned home for him.

He didn't want to see anyone hurt―but he didn't want them to give up either.

Hermione had been by to visit their flat a few times, a little nervous and out of place.

When they had been on Masani, and even Anguilla, it had simply been the three of them, alone and able to get to know one another better. Now Theo had returned to the apothecary; Draco spent most of his day brewing stock; and Granger's work kept her busier than Theo would have imagined.

Almost surprisingly, he missed the easy way the three of them had existed on the island.

Of course, if it was up to Theo, he would have been happy to live on a tropical island, basking beneath the sun and sipping on bright cocktails every day. But neither money nor sense would have allowed for such a thing at this point in his life.

When Theo closed the apothecary and went home one day a little over a week after they returned home, he found Draco completing a brew, exhaustion heavy in his brow.

"Hi," Draco murmured, planting a kiss on Theo's mouth. "How was work?"

Theo cocked a brow. "It was work. What do you want?"

A slow grin spread across his face, and Theo's lips twitched in return. "I thought," Draco said, meeting Theo's eyes, "we might go visit our new favourite Gryffindor this evening."

"That sounds like an excellent idea."

Hermione had given them both open access to her Floo, but they hadn't had a chance to visit her yet. Theo had lived with Draco for so long already―Draco had purchased the penthouse when Lucius threatened to disown him, before his access to the Malfoy coffers had been stifled―that it felt strange to see Hermione so infrequently.

While Draco finished bottling his potions, Theo slipped into the bedroom to change.

Hopefully she liked surprise visitors.

* * *

Hermione glanced up at the sudden whoosh of the Floo, her eyes widening in anticipation. She so rarely had surprise visitors.

Her mouth fell open. "Harry! It's good to see you."

Harry flashed her an easy grin, swooping forward to tug her into an embrace. "I heard you were back from your trip." He leaned back against the wall, folding his arms. "How did it go?"

Thinning her lips, Hermione tensed. "It was... _interesting_." She hadn't had a chance to reach out to Harry, not because she didn't want to tell him what had happened―and that she had ultimately returned home with nothing―but because she'd fallen so far behind in all her other research. "We found the ruins, but due to some unexpected circumstances, nothing came of it. Eventually I needed to return home, but at least I learned more about it."

"Shame." Harry offered a grimace then added, "Who's we?"

Hermione froze, a chill creeping through her at the accidental slip. She'd wanted to broach the subject of her new partnership carefully as she had no idea how her friends would take the news.

And if she was honest, she hadn't seen Draco or Theo nearly as much as she would have liked since returning home. A part of her feared they had lost interest after the fun of living on an island together, coupled with the adrenaline of the hunt, had faded.

"You'll never believe it, Harry, but I ran into some people we knew at Hogwarts while I was there." Warmth stung her cheeks, and she averted her gaze as she drew in a deep breath.

"Really," Harry murmured, flipping through some papers on the desk. "That's a weird coincidence, eh. Who did you run into? Did they help you find the ruins?"

"Mmm," she hummed, digging deep within her for courage. If not for herself, but for the two men she had come to care about. She knew how much they valued honesty, and it was important to Hermione to be honest with her friends. "They did, actually―"

The Floo flared to life once more, and Hermione's brows flew up high. She hadn't been expecting any visitors at all, let alone two. But Harry merely shrugged, as though he hadn't known of anyone else coming by.

Her heart leapt while her stomach sank simultaneously.

Theo stepped from the Floo, offering her a wave, followed by Draco.

Hermione's mouth fell open, a greeting dying on her lips at the blatant shock etched on Harry's face.

For a long moment, Harry, Theo, and Draco stared at one another.

A strange tension mingled with the confusion in the room, and Hermione plastered a smile on her face with an overenthusiastic, "Hello!"

Theo was the first to catch on as he offered a wry, "Hi, Hermione. Hi, Potter. Look, Draco, Potter's here."

Draco pursed his lips. "Potter."

But Harry only frowned at the pair of them, a deep furrow sinking his brow as his eyes darted over to Hermione.

Whether he was oblivious or simply ignoring the awkwardness in the room, Theo sank into the sofa beside her, casting a bright look around the room. "I like your flat."

Hermione offered him a smile for the lifeline, even though her home was miniscule and mundane compared to their penthouse suite. "Thank you." Watching the way Draco and Harry still fixed one another with hard stares, their bodies equally tense, Hermione fingered her wand in her pocket. "Harry stopped by to visit just before you arrived." She cleared her throat, infusing as much brightness in her voice as she could manage. "Theo, Draco, you obviously remember Harry."

Draco lifted his chin. "Of course."

Harry still hadn't spoken a word, and his stare fell straight on Hermione. "I don't think I realised that you were in contact with Malfoy and Nott, Hermione."

Although Draco bristled, he intentionally selected the seat on Hermione's other side. She felt torn between sinking into their comforting support and leaping up from her seat.

"That's what I was just..." She swallowed a cumbersome blockage in her throat. "What I was mentioning."

"We all ran into one another in Anguilla," Theo offered, a banal smile on his face.

" _These two_?" Harry exclaimed, his jaw falling open again as he flailed his hands about. "What you said about the ruins―"

Draco drawled, "That would be us."

Hermione wondered if she could simply melt into the floor. But she caught Draco's eye in her periphery, and his grey eyes danced with humour. She released a huff.

A muscle feathered in Harry's jaw, and Hermione rose from her seat, catching Draco and Theo exchange an amused glance.

"I know it sounds strange," she offered, waving a hand towards the sofa, "but these two helped me out. Actually, they saved my life."

Draco and Theo watched on, amusement lingering on their faces as Harry continued to look between the three of them in disbelief. Hermione wondered if they enjoyed watching her flounder over the situation. 

"That's true," Theo contributed, "we did." Draco nodded.

Harry dragged an aggravated hand through his already disheveled hair, shooting the sofa in general a disgruntled stare. "Alright, so even if I'm to believe these two _saved your life_ ―which I'm having a difficult time with, by the way― _why_ , in the name of Merlin, have they shown up unannounced in your flat?"

When Hermione fired Draco a desperate look, he simply bit down on his knuckle to keep from laughing.

Theo lifted his brows expectantly, as though curious about the answer himself.

_Slytherins._ They would be of no help.

Hermione's face felt so hot she began to hope she might spontaneously combust. Burying her face in her palm, she grumbled an answer.

Harry shook his head. "Didn't catch that―you what?"

Blowing out a breath, she clipped delicately, "I'm dating them."

Neither Theo nor Draco attempted to hide their amusement any longer, but Harry's eyes only tightened. "What do you mean, them? You're _dating_ one of these prats?"

"Both," she breathed, unable to meet his stare. "Both of them." When Harry's jaw dropped open in surprise, she offered a thin smile. "I know it probably isn't what you were expecting―"

Draco snorted. Theo swiped at one eye.

" _Expecting_?" Harry huffed, bewildered. "How is that even possible?"

Draco's whole body quaked with laughter. "You see, Potter, when one person is interested in another―"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "You are being _incredibly_ unhelpful right now."

"I rather thought you were doing quite well with it," Theo quipped. "Carry on."

Shaking his head, Harry dragged a chair from the kitchen table onto the divide between the sitting room and collapsed into it, as though he could no longer take in the information _and_ stand at the same time. His shrewd eyes slid between Draco and Theo, then back to Hermione, and he mouthed the word, ' _Both_ '.

At last Hermione perched on the sofa once more between Draco and Theo, leaning forward. "Yes, Harry. Draco and Theo are together, and I'm _also_ ―"

"It's called polyamory, Potter," Theo quipped, "if you want to look it up."

Harry fired Theo a scowl but simply held his hands up in supplication and leaned back in his chair. "I haven't always understood your decisions, Hermione, but I've always done my best to accept them. And if this"―he waved a hand at the three of them―"is what you want, then who am I to tell you otherwise."

Hermione's shoulders sank, and an apologetic smile tugged at her lips. "Thanks, Harry."

" _But_ ," he announced, rising from his chair again, "if this is some sort of convoluted trick to hurt my friend, I _will_ see to it that you both suffer."

Draco's lips curled with a wry smirk as he slung an arm across the back of the sofa. Theo only snickered, giving Hermione a sidelong glance. In a low drawl, Draco said, "Wouldn't expect any less from you, Potter."

Shifting on the spot, Harry swept a hand through his hair again. "I guess I'll erm... leave you to it."

"Thanks, Potter," Theo said with a grin.

Hermione smiled despite the strange circumstances. "Bye, Harry. We'll do lunch this week?"

"Yeah. Lunch." His thin smile looked more like a grimace, but Hermione appreciated the effort all the same. "See you soon."

Then he rushed into the Floo and vanished.

Feeling the twin stares of Theo and Draco linger on her from either side, Hermione folded her arms and stared up at the ceiling. "Neither of you thought to help me out at all there?"

"You had it covered," Draco drawled. "And I had a bad feeling if _you_ weren't the one to tell him, he would have hit us."

"It's true," Theo said, ducking in to press a kiss to her cheek. "Sorry for dropping by unannounced, but we wanted to see you."

Hermione sank into the sofa, enjoying their easy presence. Draco's arm slid down to curl around her shoulders, and she allowed her eyes to slide briefly shut.

"I'm glad you did," she admitted. "It's been a busy week since we've been back, but I'm happy to see you both."

"I know this is where the magic happens and all"―Draco waved a hand at her cramped sitting room, piled with stacks of research―"but you're always welcome to come see us. Even if it's just for a short while."

Sliding a hand into his hair, Hermione sought his lips, enjoying the feel of simply being with the pair of them again. "I appreciate that, and I will take you up on the offer. If you can believe it, I've missed you both."

"Of course we can believe it," Theo snickered.

She turned towards him. "How are you feeling?"

His smile softened, and he tugged at a loose curl. "Absolutely perfect." He dropped his chin, meeting her eyes. "And you? Any regrets that you left your ruins behind?"

The thought caught her briefly off guard, and Hermione offered a thin smile. "No, I don't think so. Finding the ruins was an historic discovery in itself. Maybe another researcher will try to pursue it one day―but maybe not." 

"Not with the way we concealed them," Draco added then lowered his voice. "We're probably the only ones who could break through those spells to find it again because anyone else would be deterred."

Hermione considered the words in the back of her mind, but re-affixed her smile. "I'm happy to let them go."

Although Theo's face faltered and he looked as if he had something else to say, he simply smiled. "I'm glad you're feeling okay about it."

"I am," she confirmed with a nod, even as she stifled a yawn behind her hand. "And I'm nearly caught up with the work I missed while we were away so I'll have more free time soon. Promise."

"Good," Draco mused, "because Theo's been driving me up the wall with just the two of us."

Hermione sank a little deeper into his hold. "Someone has to."

The dynamic felt stranger than she would have liked now that they were back home. On the island, they had all been together, but back in London, Theo and Draco saw one another every day as they lived together. If they were serious about pursuing something with her as well, she would need to make the effort to visit more often.

She hummed a contented breath, her eyes sliding shut. "I'm glad you're both here."

Theo rested a hand on her leg, his fingers trailing a path along her thigh, and he snickered. "You look tired."

"A little," she said through another wide yawn. Blinking several times, she tried to force her eyes open as the exhaustion from a long week caught up to her. "I'm being a poor host―what shall we do?"

Draco and Theo shared a glance, but Draco turned back towards her. "Honestly, I'm tired, too."

"Busy day." Theo tucked her closer into his side. "Maybe we only came over because we wanted to sleep with you between us."

"That sounds nice." Hermione looked between them, feeling like she could nod off at any minute. "Tomorrow I'll come over and we can be more exciting."

"Theo's never exciting," Draco murmured into her hair.

"Not true."

Hermione laid her head on Draco's shoulder, the idle movements of Theo's hand lulling her towards relaxation―until Draco rose to his feet and hoisted her from the sofa along with him. Together he and Theo located the bedroom―in her small flat, it wasn't a difficult feat―and tucked her in. Then they slipped beneath the covers, one on either side of her, and their presence offered more peace than she expected as she drifted to sleep in their arms.

* * *

Draco peered at Theo's almost illegible scrawl on a scrap of rumpled parchment.

The formula wasn't anything he'd ever seen or brewed before, but it wouldn't be the first time Theo had asked Draco to brew something of his own invention. Although his ideas never went anywhere, it was simple enough to indulge him.

While Theo was a proficient enough potioneer, he hadn't studied the material for as long as Draco had, and he usually left the more complex brews to the blond.

Distantly, from within the potions lab that took up one of the expansive rooms in their suite, he heard the Floo flare to life―followed by muffled voices. Draco's lips curled with a smirk as he idly sliced several roots before adding them to the bubbling cauldron.

Hermione peeked into the room, her eyes bright with a smile. "Hi! Am I disturbing you?"

"Of course not," Draco murmured, portioning out a selection of rose petals. "I can't step away from this at the moment, but you're welcome to come in."

Theo snaked his arms around her from behind her and edged them both into the lab. "He's working on a _top secret_ project."

When Hermione's brows lifted with intrigue, Draco snickered. "He means every so often he tries to create his own potions and convinces me to brew them for him because I'm _nice_."

"Nice," Theo echoed with a smirk and Hermione tittered in his arms. "Right. He just likes to rub it in my face when they never work out."

Draco's lips twitched. "You aren't wrong. Maybe you should create a potion that actually works and then I'll believe you aren't just trying to waste my time."

Releasing an irritated huff, Theo drawled, "You know what he's like." Out of the corner of Draco's eye, he could see them entwined around one another. He froze, watching for a minute as Theo palmed her breasts, before the cauldron threatened to boil over.

"I know what you're doing," he said quietly, "and I don't care for it."

Theo's innocent gaze snapped up to Draco's even as he caught Hermione's earlobe between his teeth. "Not sure what you mean."

A soft sound slipped from her lips that shot straight to Draco's cock, and she met Theo's lips in a kiss over her shoulder. Draco clenched his jaw, rolled his eyes, and returned to the potion.

"I'll let it ruin," he threatened. "And you'll never know if it was going to work out or not."

"That would be an awful waste," Theo quipped, dragging Hermione’s shirt over her head between kisses.

Although to a certain extent Draco didn't mind observing, Theo was definitely the voyeur between them, and Draco vastly preferred to participate. He ground his teeth while he prepared the next ingredients, attempting to ignore them, even as his skin grew flushed at the sensual show they were putting on. Theo pressed her up against the wall, pulling her jeans down her legs and marking a trail of kisses along her skin.

"I expect this from Theo," he teased, "but Granger, I didn't know you had it in you."

Her eyes met his as she bit down on her bottom lip. "Join us, then."

"I can't walk away from this potion," he clipped, "and Theo knows that."

Theo merely offered a smirk over his shoulder and dipped his tongue inside her knickers.

Drawing in a long breath through his nose, Draco tried to ignore his own rock hard cock, though her soft cries made the effort nearly impossible. He debated throwing the whole thing in the bin and hauling them both into the bedroom but he'd already spent the last three hours working on the potion and it would be a shame to start from scratch.

He didn't blame Hermione―Draco knew well enough the magic Theo could do with his mouth―but some petulant part of him didn't want to miss the fun.

Although Theo liked to play teasing games and test the limits, he would never do something to intentionally upset Draco. And while disgruntled, Draco wasn't upset with them for indulging without him.

Even so, he continued to cast them surreptitious glances as Theo slid inside of her, her back pressed to the wall. Draco adjusted his trousers, skimming the list of directions that still remained on the list as he carried on with his potion. As they fucked lazily against the wall, he was almost able to block it out, except for the way his mouth grew dry, his arousal almost painfully hard.

"I'm fucking one of you tonight," he clipped, "and I don't care which."

A breathy laugh broke from Hermione's lips, her nails leaving pink lines on the flesh of Theo's shoulders, followed by a cry of Theo's name when she found her release.

Draco turned back to his potion, pursing his lips as he moved on to the next step. His eyes lingered for a moment on Hermione's bare arse as she slipped her bra and knickers back on, but then she caught his stare across the room. She walked over, pressing up on her toes to plant a sensuous kiss to his lips.

Across the room, Theo wore a grin as he folded his arms and leaned against the wall.

But then Hermione dropped to her knees on the floor, slipping open the closure of Draco's trousers, and without any hesitation she freed his erection from his shorts, taking it firmly in her palm. She spread a bead of moisture that had accumulated on the head along his shaft.

"Shit, Hermione," Draco huffed, eyes rolling for a moment.

She leaned in, swirling her tongue around the head of it before taking the length fully between her lips.

And if Draco had found it difficult to focus before, it was nearly impossible now. She dragged her tongue along the underside of his shaft, teasing the sensitive flesh, before sucking once more on the head. With a shuddering breath out, Draco buried a hand into her curls, his eyelids fluttering as he tried to stir the potion.

Pumping her hand along the length of his cock, she sucked and teased the head and shaft, setting a pace that was both immensely enjoyable and incredibly distracting.

Until at last Draco gave up on the potion, his impending orgasm playing about the edges of his mind. A groan slid from his lips when she took his full length into her throat with each dip, and he ground out a stiff, "You're going to make me come, Hermione."

But her gaze only flitted up to meet his, eyes sparkling, as she took him into her throat again with several more firm pumps of her hand.

Draco's release swept through him with a groan, and his seed burst forth into her throat as he stilled and watched her swallow. He tugged her curls back, a smile lifting her lips when she slid her mouth from him. With gentle hands, she tucked him back into his shorts and set his trousers to rights while he watched on with amusement before rising to her feet.

Theo still observed from the far wall, his eyes darkened, and Draco fired him a look.

When she pressed another kiss to his mouth, he tugged her closer, briefly deepening the kiss and tasting himself on her tongue.

Her eyes shone as she peered up at him. "As you were," she whispered, lips grazing his again.

"Thanks, Granger." A wry smirk tugged at his lips as he stared at her, before she flitted away to let him focus on Theo's potion again.

Merlin, he was falling for the witch, and he didn't care to stop himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Even though they're home, there's still plenty to come :) 
> 
> Shout out to my alpha, curly_kay, and beta, ravenslight for all their help on this little story.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> smutty Saturday o.o

Hermione's first outing as one third of a relationship was nothing like she had expected.

One evening as she worked on a report of her findings from the Ruins of Artakai―an unpleasant feeling settled in the pit of her stomach―the Floo activated and both Theo and Draco entered the flat, sinking into her sofa. Matching mischievous smiles sat on their faces when she turned towards them, and they both wore nice clothes.

"Why do I have the feeling something is about to happen?" she breathed, heart leaping at the welcome sight of them.

"Because it is," Theo quipped. "You haven't left this flat in"―he tilted his head each way in consideration―"two days?"

Hermione swallowed, glancing at the calendar on the wall.

"And you probably haven't eaten since breakfast," he pressed.

She peered at her watch. "Okay, _but_ ―"

"No buts allowed," Draco interrupted, a furrow crossing his brow. He chuckled, glancing at Theo, and amended, " _Arses_ allowed," and the pair of them snickered; Hermione rolled her eyes even as her lips curled as well. "We're taking you out for dinner."

Her stomach twisted at the blatant declaration, but despite the confidence in his words, she could see the cautious hesitation in their stares. Since they'd come back from the Caribbean she had only seen them in the confines of her flat or theirs. And although neither of them spoke it aloud, she could see the subtle test hanging before them.

Simultaneously, Hermione warmed at the idea that they wanted to go out with her.

Casting a glance down at her casual outfit, she offered a breathy, "I'd love that. Let me change?"

Draco rose to his feet and caught her in his arms as she made to leave the room, and he dropped his stare to meet hers. His thumbs grazed her hips as his face fell serious. "Only if you're comfortable with it."

"Definitely so." She swept his fringe from his eyes, unable to help the smile that overtook her face. "It sounds wonderful."

A wry smile warmed his face in return, and he pressed a soft kiss to her lips. "Okay."

Theo slid between them, slinging an arm over each of their shoulders, and rolled his face towards Hermione. "It seems about time we show you off, yeah?"

"Yeah," she breathed, meeting his lips as well. Then she clicked her tongue, flashing a cheeky grin. "Or maybe it's the inverse."

His hazel eyes sparkled. "Maybe so."

Extracting herself from their grip, she slipped into her room to put on something worthy of a first _proper_ date. 

* * *

Theo idled towards Hermione's desk beneath the window, his fingers grazing the report she'd been working on. Draco peered over his shoulder, catching Theo's eyes.

Although Hermione had assured them she wasn't upset that they hadn't delved deeper into the Ruins of Artakai, Theo couldn't help the niggling concern at the back of his mind. For as long as he had known her, since they'd been children, Hermione had existed in a perpetual pursuit of knowledge and understanding.

He wondered whether she regretted returning home early.

They had been so close to the truth. They had discovered the ruins―something she had spent years working on―and despite the dangerous circumstances, they had learned more about Artakai's concealment and protection of his ancient treasure. It could have been the breakthrough of her career as a magical researcher, but they'd returned home before exploring the final piece.

Theo didn't want to be the reason she gave up on that dream.

And while he knew Draco had also wanted to find the treasure, his desire had been more of a curiosity, an intrigue, than a scholarly pursuit.

His stare lingered on the report, the stacks of research spread out across her desk, and Draco's hand curled around his shoulder in wordless support. Theo could feel each dull throb of his heart in his chest, forcing a thick swallow.

Despite that Theo hadn't overtly mentioned his concerns, Draco knew him well enough to read his mind―without Occlumency. He simply wrapped his arms around Theo's waist, pressing a lingering kiss to his jaw.

An uneasy chill settled in the core of Theo's being as he remembered the way the warding magic had seeped into him, the agonising and horrific way his body had slowly given way beneath the intense force of it.

He glanced away from the report.

He could only hope that if something changed, Granger would let them know. But he wasn't certain that would be the case, when she knew how much the experience had left him fraught and on edge.

But she re-emerged into the sitting room in a beautiful forest green dress, her long legs exposed, and Theo's mouth went dry. A soft smile curled his lips as he sank back into Draco's hold with a quiet, "You look beautiful."

"Stunning," Draco added, dropping his chin to rest on Theo's shoulder. He brandished a hand towards her, and Hermione took the offering, her face vibrant and aglow. "Let's go."

* * *

Hermione had expected the stares. They were both present and plentiful―the wizarding world was often too small for its own good, and as notable and contrasting figures in society, she wasn't surprised to feel the heat of eyes lingering on them as they walked Diagon Alley.

She wouldn't be surprised to see the outing in the society pages of the _Daily Prophet_ either. At the very least, a scandalous spread in _Witch Weekly_. But she had time to prepare for such a thing. She slipped her hand into Theo's as he guided her towards a popular restaurant on the high street, and when the concierge led them past a line of waiting patrons, she fixed her eyes on his to avoid the gaping stares.

She didn't mind half as much as she once thought she might.

Draco's hand lingered on the small of her back, providing a soothing, steady comfort, and her heart clenched tightly in her chest.

Let them stare―and if they must, let them judge―but Hermione didn't care to acknowledge it. She was simply on a date, as many of them were, and the men at either side of her had caught not only her eye but her heart as well.

"You okay?" Draco murmured in her ear as his fingers grazed her spine.

She caught the warmth in his eye. "Excellent."

"Good," he breathed, and she noticed that while the pair of them were perfect gentlemen and refrained from any overt shows of affection, neither of them shied away from her.

Even when Hermione saw someone she recognised―a co-worker of Harry's from the Auror's office―she simply waved and ignored the man's open-mouthed shock.

The concierge led them to a table in a private alcove near the back of the restaurant, all dim lighting and romantic ambiance, and Theo slipped into the seat at her side while Draco sat across from her.

No one else in the section paid them any mind, too caught up in their own meals, and Hermione smiled as she settled in.

* * *

It was remarkable, really, that Hermione had once thought she had nothing in common with either Draco or Theo. Despite that they had both been intelligent and well-learned in school―Draco had always been second in their year only to her, and Theo not much further behind―too much animosity had existed between their houses for her to consider such a thing.

But the more she came to know them, the easier it became to connect on a deeper level.

They were both sharp-witted and endlessly amusing, and Hermione found herself drawn into the easy conversation as the night wore on.

While she had come to know each of them separately, the three of them together was rapidly becoming her favourite. Theo and Draco knew one another so well that their banter bounced off of one another's, and she was able to slip in almost seamlessly.

Either she was in completely over her head, or she was falling hard for each of them.

Maybe it was both.

It was difficult to believe, after her initial impression when she had come across them in Anguilla. But the pair had come to brighten her days with a startling consistency, and she didn't know that she had it in her to rein in the way she had started to grow attached.

And after two bottles of wine shared between the three of them, face warm and buzzing pleasantly, Hermione felt eager to carry on with the evening when Theo suggested they return to his and Draco’s flat.

Her head spun a little from the side-along Apparition when they landed, and a teasing smile spread across her face when she caught the wicked flash in their eyes. Drawing first Theo, then Draco, towards her for a kiss, she slid her hands through each of their hair.

Heart leaping into her throat, she smiled. "I need to use the loo―don't wait on me."

Draco's tongue dipped out along his lower lip before he cast Theo a glance. "Okay. We won't." Twisting a hand into Theo's tie, he tugged the other man towards the bedroom.

Tittering, Hermione untangled herself from between them and flitted into the loo. Her face was flushed, hair mussed, and she had a bit of a glaze to her eyes, but she still felt in control. Well enough that despite her nerves, she looked forward to what the night would bring.

When she slipped through the open door of the bedroom, she found the two of them down to just their trousers, kissing in bed, and her mouth went dry as she leaned against the wall to observe for a moment. They were both indecently attractive, and the sight of them together always caused her core to clench. Especially as Draco slid a hand below Theo's arse, caged beneath him, and they both groaned when they ground against one another. 

Pressing her mouth shut, Hermione managed a thick swallow when Theo's gaze slid to hers. "You going to join us, love?"

Draco offered a sensuous grin, raking his teeth along Theo's jaw as he deftly slipped his belt buckle free. "Maybe she wants to watch."

"Yes. If that's alright." The words fell softer than she'd intended, with a hint of a tremble, but they only shared a look. The arousal in her core ached as she neared, but Draco carried on, throwing Theo's belt to the floor and tugging his trousers free.

As he charted a course of open-mouthed kisses along Theo's smooth chest, he shot her a look. "If you want to watch, you can watch. No judgement here."

"For now," Hermione amended, offering him a bit of a smile.

Draco gave her a wink and carried on.

Theo groaned beneath him, his erection prominent through his shorts as Draco carried further down along his abdomen, yanking his shorts off and throwing them to the ground.

A breath stalled in her throat as Hermione walked over and perched on the edge of the bed, watching as Draco took Theo's cock firmly into one hand, dragging his tongue beneath the length of it before wrapping his lips around the head.

To that point, they had been mindful to include her in most everything between the three of them together, and her entire body flared with awareness as Theo's grip tightened in Draco's pale locks, maneuvering him into a slow, teasing rhythm.

But Theo's hazel eyes were wicked when he looked her way. "Will you strip for us?"

Whether it was the wine or simply her desire to explore and learn all the sides of their relationship so much better, she bit down on her bottom lip and nodded.

Mouth wrapped around Theo's cock, Draco's silvery eyes settled on her as well.

Spurred on by their searing stares, Hermione reached behind her to release the zip of her dress. One at a time, she slid the straps from her shoulders and let the dress pool onto the floor below.

She hadn't worn a bra, her nipples peaking in the cool air of the room, and Draco froze, his hand tightening around Theo's length as his lips came off with a pop.

"You're fucking gorgeous, you know," he muttered, swirling his tongue along the head again.

" _So_ fucking gorgeous," Theo added as a breath hitched in his throat.

When their eyes remained on her, Hermione allowed a teasing smile to lift her lips as she slid her fingers beneath the waistband of her knickers. Slowly she inched them down her thighs, bending to pull them off entirely, leaving her bare to their roving stares.

She had never felt so desired.

Even as Draco continued his indolent treatment of Theo's arousal, he asked, "What do you want to do?"

Every fibre of her being was almost painfully aware of them, and she climbed onto the bed, drawing Theo into a heated kiss. He released a heavy breath against her lips, eyelids fluttering as Draco carried on.

Draco's hand reached up to round the curve of her arse, his fingers dipping between her legs. Hermione bit down on Theo's lip when Draco slid one finger, then another, into her folds. Swinging one leg over Theo's middle, she kissed him deeply, taking her cues from Draco's slow, teasing pace.

But she caught Theo's gaze, planting another lingering kiss to his lips before following Draco's trail south along the smooth muscle of his abdomen. When she pressed a kiss to the side of Theo's cock, Draco's heated gaze seared her own, and he caught her lips in a lazy kiss, their tongues both grazing Theo's erection.

"This is how I die," Theo groaned from above them.

Draco grinned. "Hell of a way to go."

Hermione laughed, kissing him a moment longer before she nudged him aside and took Theo fully between her lips. Draco's mouth curled with a sensuous smirk as he shifted back, climbing from the foot of the bed. Hermione ducked in again, licking and sucking Theo the way Draco had done. Her heart clamoured in her chest as Theo's fingers threaded her curls, directing her pace.

Vaguely she heard the rustling of clothes, then Draco's fingers were inside her again. One of his hands landed on her arse with a soft smack, and he soothed the sting as a quiet cry of surprise broke from her lips.

"Again," she breathed against Theo's cock, and again Draco's hand came down, a little harder this time. Arousal coursed through her, and his fingers drove into her, firmer and more insistent.

Hermione was sure she would combust when his palm caught her arse again, as she slid Theo into her throat.

But Draco's solid girth nudged against her entrance, and in a smooth motion he thrust into her. For a moment, he allowed her to adjust to his thickness as it filled her before he began to move. She whimpered around Theo's arousal, dragging her hand down the length of him in time with the pace Draco set inside of her.

A string of muted profanities fell from Theo's mouth as she sucked him harder, hollowing her cheeks with each pass.

And Draco's grip, firm and possessive on her hips, was enough to ground her with the pressure of it. Hermione already felt her own climax begin to build, her hands growing shaky as she jerked Theo faster, harder, her eyes squeezing shut from the intensity of it.

"Hermione," Theo murmured, "fuck I'm close."

Exhaling a shuddering breath, she ducked in, taking the length of him again.

Still Draco thrust into her from behind, one of his hands drifting up her body to palm her breast. And when his other hand came down on the flesh of her arse again, hard enough to sting, she came with unexpected force, a cry breaking free around Theo's cock. Her entire body tensed with the wash of pleasure, her vision flickering with darkness.

Thrusting up into her mouth one more, Theo reached his own climax, hot seed shooting down her throat as Hermione swirled her tongue idly along the head of him. With a few final thrusts into her, Draco groaned and stilled as well, his hold on her hips relaxing.

Hermione sank, boneless and sated, into the bed, her head resting on Theo's thigh as her eyes fell shut.

A soft smile tugged at her lips, exhaustion sweeping through her with the release that still tingled through her nerves.

Draco's arms slid beneath her, and he re-positioned her at the top of the bed. She shifted onto Theo's pillow, eyes fluttering open to find his on her. He pressed a soft, lingering kiss to her lips with a quiet, "You did so well, love."

She felt the wash of Draco's magic sweep over her before his hand grazed her arse, soothing the bite from his palm, and he crawled in on her other side. He tugged the covers over all three of them, one arm banding around her waist.

"Sweet dreams," he breathed, burying his face in her curls.

Theo brushed his lips against her temple, murmuring something against her skin that she didn't quite catch.

"G'night," Hermione whispered, so comfortable and secure between them that sleep overtook her in a quiet instant.

* * *

Theo's heart felt full. Although he and Draco had invited many partners in before, never had any of them melded so seamlessly as Hermione had. When he stirred awake, he couldn't help the smile that lingered on his lips as he watched her. A soft knit tugged at her brows, a hint of sadness in her face that he wanted to chase away.

A loose curl hung in her face, and while Theo desired to sweep it away, he didn't want to disturb her peace.

From the other side of her, Draco's eyes slid open, glassy with sleep, and they stared at one another for a moment.

Theo thinned his lips, ducking his chin, and Draco held his gaze. Silently, Draco mouthed, 'I know. Me too.' At the confirmation, Theo's heart soared. He had never felt so strongly about a third before―and the best part was that Hermione seemed to be invested in the relationship as well. Going out the night before, the three of them together, had been a big step when their relationship up to that point had been mostly kept private.

The moment was perfect. Theo never wanted to get up, all of them entangled with one another after dropping from the exhilarating pleasure they'd sought the night before. If he could, he would keep both of them in bed with him forever.

His lips twitched at the thought.

But almost instantly, his mind sobered with the decision he knew he needed to make. And he knew which way it had to go.

Hermione shifted a little closer as she stirred, and as Theo's body flared awake at the feel of her soft, bare curves pressed against him, he steadied his focus.

The warmth on her face when her sleepy smile found him caused Theo's heart to clench in his chest, and for a moment he tugged her nearer, meeting Draco's intrigued stare over her shoulder.

"Do you have to work today?" he asked, brushing a kiss against her temple as she stretched out.

Her large eyes blinked at him for a moment. "I will have to later, yes. I have to finish my report on the ruins. Do you?"

Theo pursed his lips before rolling onto his back. "I'll go in this afternoon."

"Theo hires apprentices to work the early shift for him," Draco teased, though the words did little to lift the melancholy seeping into him.

"It's true," he said with a snicker. "I don't care to get up early―but I also close the shop most nights. And Draco usually prefers to brew fresh stock in the mornings, so it works out well."

A soft smile lingered on Hermione's face at the banal conversation before she breathed, "I had fun last night. Going out for dinner."

Draco edged closer, trapping her flush between them, and he smirked as he swept her hair beneath her head to kiss her. "As did I. It's been so easy to keep you to ourselves, but I must admit I'm glad you don't mind being seen with us."

"Of course not," she breathed, rolling in Theo's hold to face Draco. "While a lot of this is still new to me, I want you to know I take the trust you've both offered seriously. It's important to me."

Glancing again at Theo, Draco's throat shifted with a swallow. "It's important to us, too. _You're_ important to us."

"Truth," Theo mused, staring again at the ceiling.

Hermione smiled at each of them then turned back to catch Draco's mouth in a kiss. Her arse grazed back against Theo, stirring his body alert once more. "Since none of us have anywhere to be right at the moment..." She trailed off, a wicked glint in her eye that set Theo's spirit alight.

A slow grin spread across his face as he slipped his hand between her legs, finding her already wet. "Minx," Theo huffed, slipping two fingers inside of her while his cock hardened. She kissed Draco, teasing and meticulous, and took his erection into her palm.

Theo dragged her back a little closer and slid himself into her, catching a breath at the feel of her tight heat wrapped around him. A heavy exhale fell from his lips as the three of them set a slow, indolent pace. 

His decision could wait until later.

* * *

After they finally rose from bed in the late morning, all three of them sated and a little more touchy than usual, Theo set about preparing a meal to steady his nerves.

When Hermione came up behind him, her arms banding across his middle, his eyes fluttered briefly shut as he entwined their fingers. Merlin, he'd fallen for the woman faster and harder than he would have imagined. Basking in the quiet and easy comfort she offered him, Theo murmured, "I have something I wanted to talk to you about." Draco sat at the kitchen table, sipping a mug of coffee as he skimmed the _Daily Prophet,_ and he glanced up. "Both of you."

A flicker of concern crossed her face when Hermione circled him. Theo set a stasis charm on his cooking before waving a hand towards the table, and they sat as Draco folded his newspaper and set it aside.

As both of them stared at him expectantly, Theo found he couldn't quite meet either of them in the eye. Draco's hand caught his with a gentle squeeze, bolstering Theo's waning courage.

"It's been bothering me," Theo said, "that you both gave up on your desire to find the ruins―and I know it wasn't _because_ of me, but it played a part―and Hermione, I don't want you to submit your report incomplete unless you _absolutely_ don't want to return to the island."

Sadness briefly played across her face before she schooled her expression. Draco's careful eyes simply remained fixed on him.

Theo clicked his tongue several times and pressed on. "I spoke with the healer you both hired in Anguilla"―at that, surprise lifted Draco's brows―"in consultation with regards to the magic that broke free of the ruins, to see whether I might be able to investigate it at all. He kept the sample he'd drawn from my magical core, and I wondered if I could use it to fashion some sort of... _protection_."

Although Hermione's stare lingered, a furrow of consternation knitting her brows, Draco shook his head.

"Prick," he muttered. "That potion you made me brew last week?"

"I wanted to run some tests," Theo muttered, sweeping a hand through his hair. "Make sure it was safe and test it against Artakai's magic from the ruins." He flashed Draco a smirk. "And I didn't trust myself to brew it properly."

"Theo," Hermione breathed, her mouth curling into a frown. "You didn't have to do that. I know you didn't care for the ruins―and we didn't give up on them because of you. We returned home because it was too dangerous. Any of us could have been caught unaware by that magic."

Theo drew in a breath and released it with a huff. "Well, now you won't have to. In all of my testing, the potion proved successful in warding off Artakai's magic. Like a sort of immunity―a shield. It won't be able to shut down your magic anymore."

Her eyes were glassy as her hand fumbled across the table for his own. Draco's jaw clenched as he stared at Theo as well, the emotion in his face mostly concealed but for how well Theo knew him.

"I didn't want to bring it up until I was sure because I didn't want to give either of you false hope," Theo pressed on, "and I can't say it isn't without _any_ risks, but it appears safe. It's up to you if you want to go back―to find that stupid fucking treasure after all."

Hermione released a watery laugh, swiped at a tear that broke down her cheek, and gave his hand a tight squeeze. "Thank you, Theo. I don't know why you've done this, but... thank you."

Theo didn't know whether he was quite ready to voice the reason, so he only snickered. "As established earlier, you're important to me. You both are. And now the decision is yours."

When her eyes lit up with a sparkle, Theo felt his heart clench in response. He knew it was the right call to tell her, even as fear settled within every part of his being that something else could still go wrong.

But she and Draco shared a look, a private smile, and Theo released a huff.

"Who am I kidding―we're going back to the Caribbean aren't we."

Draco ducked in, his lips brushing Theo's. "You're brilliant, love. And _yes_ , I believe we are."

Theo scrunched up the bridge of his nose. "I'm coming with you, of course, but I've yet to decide if I'm going back into the ruins."

As the three of them shared a grin, Hermione whispered, "I suppose we ought to pack."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading, everyone! Your comments always put the biggest smile on my face. I hope you're still enjoying the story!


	11. Chapter 11

When they came home from Masani, the last thing Draco had anticipated was to return only weeks later. But Theo had surprised them all―himself included―when he had been the one to encourage them to resolve the search after all. They had once more left the apothecary in the hands of their capable apprentices and returned to the bright Caribbean.

Although they knew better what to expect this time around, Draco felt more apprehensive than he had the first time.

For one, they knew now the potential dangers of the Ruins of Artakai. Despite Theo's assurances that the potion he'd designed―and that Draco had unwittingly brewed―would work to protect them from the insidious protective magic in the ruins, Draco wouldn't easily forget the way Theo had nearly died the last time.

Draco adjusted his dark glasses on the bridge of his nose, the tropical sun beaming down on him when their final Portkey landed in a remote area of Anguilla. Despite that they had Apparated from Masani to Anguilla under duress previously when Theo had been incapacitated, none of them trusted a Portkey to land on such a small, remote spite of land in the middle of the ocean.

And besides―Anguilla brought better memories.

To Theo's chagrin and Hermione's horror, Draco drew the shrunken form of his inboard motorboat from his pocket and expanded it into the ocean in an area where no one could see.

"What?" he scoffed, preparing the boat for launch. "It's fun."

Theo chuckled as he boarded the boat, and Hermione's eyes tightened a little, but she followed suit, the pair of them settling onto the back bench together.

"Technically it's against wizarding law to shrink any Muggle objects that contain an engine," Hermione tutted from the back as Draco fired up the motor. "Because _explosions_."

"Luckily we didn't have any explosions," Draco drawled, firing her a look. "And how was I even supposed to know that―fucking swot."

Although her eyes flashed, Draco smirked and drifted to the back of the boat to release the ropes that secured it onto the dock. Sliding a hand around the back of her neck, he dragged her mouth to his. "Only joking," he murmured, peering over his glasses. " _Swot_."

Hermione only sank back into her seat when he released her, folding her arms. "Why is Draco so much more insufferable when it's sunny out?"

"Because his pale skin can't handle the heat," Theo responded, and the pair of them tittered.

Draco rolled his eyes and clenched his jaw. "You're both hilarious."

"We're funnier than you are," Hermione teased, and Draco bristled at the implication.

"Untrue. You simply don't understand _sophisticated_ humour," he clipped, lowering the throttle and easing the boat away from the dock. He was beginning to get the hang of driving a boat even though he still didn't know what half of the levers and dials were for. Following the compass affixed to the dash, Draco charted an approximate course to Masani―and then drove fast enough that he couldn't hear either of their inane comments about how _not_ funny he was.

When they arrived on Masani, however, Draco's heart began to churn with anxiety once more. Without speaking more than necessary, they Apparated across the island to the far shore to begin assembling their camp as it had been before.

And while the day was still young enough that the sun shone high in the sky, none of them suggested going to the ruins. It would take a fair length of time to reverse the spells he and Hermione had placed on them before leaving the first time―and that was if their own spells didn't deter them from finding their way.

With a better understanding of what they would face, they'd brought plenty of supplies and food to store in the tent's ice box.

For the first time in both visits, Draco found himself with down time to kill and a hot sun beaming down. Tugging his shirt over his head, he drifted into the shallows beyond the shore. A small inlet curled around their side of the island, protecting it from the deeper swells of the ocean, and the sand was soft beneath his feet as he waded farther out until the water came to his chest. Several minutes later, Hermione joined him clad in a bikini that Draco instantly decided he liked.

As she waded nearer, he splashed a wave towards her with his hand.

Spluttering, she swiped the water from her face and turned towards him. Her eyes glinted with the sun overhead but within her stare he read the challenge―only for a moment before her own wave washed over him, plastering his hair flat to his head.

Draco splashed her in return again, more water than the first time, and with her curls saturated, her hair lay oddly smooth.

She drifted closer still, flashing him a thin smile, and Draco tensed at the insincere warmth. Until she reached up and tried to submerge his head underwater. He caught her around the middle, trapping her wrists in one of his hands, and a bright laugh escaped her lips when Draco pulled her flush against his chest.

"Nice try," he breathed against her ear, tasting the saltwater on the side of her face. 

Hermione's arms wound around his neck when he released her, and without warning she hoisted herself up from the sand and wrapped her legs around his waist.

Smirking, Draco caught her arse in his hands and met her lips with his. "You aren't still mad at me, then?"

"I wasn't mad," she breathed, deepening the kiss. "Although you _might_ want to watch your back. You never know when something unexpected might befall you."

He barked a short laugh. "Noted." As he kissed her again, his chest tightened. "You do realise you have quite the Slytherin streak."

Although she shrugged, she offered him a banal smile. "Not sure what you're talking about."

Theo floated slowly past on his back, buoyed by the saltwater, and huffed a sigh. "I want no part in whatever this is between you two today." Then he carried on across the inlet.

Hermione laughed, the beautiful sound of it warming Draco's heart. For just a second, his smile faltered and his grip on her tightened. As though sensing the shift, Hermione's gaze softened, and she melted a little closer into him.

"What is it?" she asked, dropping her voice.

"Nothing." Draco swallowed, holding her stare. "Only... I could really get used to this."

Her lips met his once more in a searing, heart-wrenching kiss. In the extended moment after she drew back, Draco felt a sort of tentative peace settle within him that he distantly recognised.

But she only whispered against his ear, "So could I."

Her eyes danced with a hint of the sentiment Draco didn't know how to voice just yet, and a long exhale fell from his lips. He swept a damp curl behind her ear, and her lips parted with a soft intake of breath.

"Draco," she whispered, gaze seeking his.

His brows lifted, lips pursed, and he lost himself in her eyes. "Yeah?"

Fingers toying with the wet hair along the nape of his neck, she ducked in with another brief kiss. "I'm glad we're here―together."

"Yeah," he said again, the word falling a little gruff. "Me too." He longed to tell her how he felt, a visceral desire building within his chest into a cumbersome burden on his heart. But he didn't want to frighten her or scare her off, so he simply wrapped his arms tighter around her.

Draco wondered whether she could feel the wild pulse of his heart against hers.

Her lips brushed against his jaw, and in that moment he decided he would never let her go.

* * *

It had taken several hours for the three of them to make their way through the trees in the vague direction of the ruins as they had last seen them. Hermione grit her teeth against an urge in the back of her mind to turn back, a persistent niggling that she had forgotten something and simply couldn't go on.

Their spellwork in preventing the ruins from being stumbled upon had been a little _too_ effective, and between the three of them there was always at least one of them drifting off in the other direction.

Hermione might have found it comical―and it was at first. Until it had taken hours for them to travel what ought to have taken half an hour. "Theo!" she hissed. "I've got what you need over here."

"I'll bet you do," Draco said with a smirk even as Theo rounded back towards them. Hermione shot him a look, nudging into his side as he slipped an arm around her middle.

But when he huffed under his breath, frantically patting his pockets as though searching for something, Hermione tightened her grip. "Draco, you're fine."

He swept a hand through his hair, the bridge of his nose tugging upwards with distaste. "Provided we actually _make it_ to the site of the ruins, there's still the matter of removing all of our other spells and wards."

"Yeah." Hermione sighed a long breath, casting a ward detection spell. They wouldn't be able to release their spells until they'd gotten a little closer, and they had opted to walk rather than fly to keep an eye on their magic as they went.

In preparation for the trip, Draco had brewed two additional batches of Theo's shielding potion so they would have more than enough for several visits, and Hermione had tucked a few vials into her pack before leaving the camp that morning.

She stopped dead, gazing into the trees around her. "Something's wrong―something's―"

"Nothing," Draco breathed, "is wrong." 

Her head swung towards him, mild amusement on his face, and Hermione's heart rate slowed. "Right. Nothing's wrong."

Draco released a heavy sigh. " _Theo!_ "

"For fuck's sake," Theo grumbled when he finally re-routed back towards them. "Could you two have possibly done a more thorough job? Or modified the spells so _you_ wouldn't react to your own?"

"I'm not reacting to mine," Hermione mused, "but I am to Draco's. You're just being distracted by both of us so you've got it twice as bad."

Theo sucked in and blew out a long, deep breath. "This is fucking ridiculous."

"We're almost there," Hermione said, freezing on the spot. "I think―or are we going the wrong―"

"We're fine," Draco snickered. "Honestly, this is funny. Just accept that it's funny and we'll have a better day. The good news is that our spells would have chased off every Muggle―and most magic-wielders―who even dared come close to the island."

"It _is_ a little funny," Hermione admitted with a titter. "It just means we'll have less time to actually assess and explore the ruins when we finally get there."

Leaning in, Draco brushed a kiss against her temple. "Just more time to spend together before we have to go back home."

The gentle platitude squeezed her heart in her chest, and she beamed up at him for a moment. Hermione had felt something shift in the quiet moments between them the evening before in the ocean. And while it frightened her to know how rapidly her feelings had developed for _both_ of the men at her sides, it was also exhilarating.

She had always been so pragmatic in matters of the heart that it felt both alarming and an utter thrill to let herself care so deeply about not just one but two other people.

But the fear still lingered every time she considered voicing something a little deeper, especially as the one entering such a long-term and well-established relationship. The last thing she wanted to do was to push them away.

Hermione didn't immediately notice she was still staring at Draco until he came to an abrupt stop, turning to face her. He ducked his chin, hands lingering on her hips, staring as though she were paper thin and he could read her every thought. But he only kissed her, his arms winding around her and tugging her closer. Her heart jarred in her chest at the softness of it, and to her horror, hot moisture welled behind her eyes at the intensity of the moment.

As she clung to him for a breath longer, searching out the promise in his kisses once more, she knew.

Until Draco pulled away, rolled his eyes, and yelled out, "Fucking _Theo_ , get back here!"

* * *

The warmth drained from within him, his stomach churning with a bitter, bile-inducing mixture of fear and nausea as Theo stared down at the ruins that had nearly claimed his life only weeks prior.

By the time they had made it through the trees to the Ruins of Artakai and released the layers of protective spells and enchantments of their own, they had little time left to actually descend into the stone labyrinth below.

The sun still shone merrily above in the almost ubiquitously blue sky that hung over Masani.

The good news was that Theo retained the use of his magic. They had each taken a vial of the potion as they neared the edge of the ruins just in case the magic reacted poorly with their efforts to reveal the ruins once more. So if nothing else, that provided a certain amount of comfort in the face of the terror that threatened to paralyse him to the spot.

"You alright?" Draco murmured as he slipped up alongside Theo, hands in his pockets, and together the pair of them gazed down at the ruins below. From so far up, they looked peaceful―and Theo could admit the strange, overgrown beauty of it. To have concealed an entire society below ground, the constructions and designs intricate and robust.

"Fine," Theo clipped, drawing in a steady breath. "Just fucking fine."

Draco's hand curled around his far shoulder, and Theo allowed himself to be pulled into Draco's side. Against his temple, Draco breathed, "You know you don't need to pretend with me."

In his periphery, Theo could see Hermione drifting around the adjacent side of the opening, whether assessing or giving them privacy he couldn't say. Theo released a long breath, some of the tension ebbing away from within his chest.

"Fine doesn't feel accurate," he admitted at last. "But I meant what I said. I'm not going to be the reason either of you don't go after this."

With a long sigh, Draco's chest sank, and his mouth grazed Theo's jaw. "I love you. I'm not going to let anything else happen to you."

Theo turned into the kiss, eyes sliding shut. "I love you for believing that."

Stormy grey eyes blinked open, seeking his own instinctively. "I mean it, Theo. We're better prepared this time―you saw to that―but there isn't a chance in hell I'm going to ask you to come down into the ruins again."

While Theo wanted to dispute the idea, a witty clip lingering on the tip of his tongue, he stowed the levity. "I know you won't ask."

It didn't mean Theo wasn't going to go anyway. Now that they would be able to use their magic, the situation felt wholly different. But still, Theo couldn't quite shake the sinking melancholy at the thought of it.

At last Hermione slipped towards them and Theo pulled her into his other side, pressing a kiss into her messy curls, fallen loose from the trek and the exertion.

"I reckon we ought to wait until tomorrow," she said quietly. "We can leave the camp at first light and have a full day to explore."

"Agreed," Draco said.

Theo tightened his hold on each of them. If nothing else, he had his two favourite people in the world with him. Someone like Theo ought never have been so lucky.

Finally he nodded. "Agreed as well." He cast Draco a wry smirk. "And remember that time you told Hermione I wasn't agreeable."

She tucked into his chest, beaming up at the two of them, with a whispered, "You both surprised me after all."

* * *

The flames danced higher, bright in the night sky and a sharp contrast with the blackened waves as they rolled in, lit only by the cool light of the moon.

Draco gazed into the fire, introspective, the sharp smokiness heavy on his clothes and in the stubble along his jaw. Theo had fallen asleep in the seat beside him after fiddling with his stupid Muggle toy cube for an hour, and Hermione lay half asleep on his chest, lulled by the crackling flames.

"You know," she mused, her voice a little slurred with fatigue, "I never saw any of this coming. I thought I knew what I was getting into when I first came here."

"If it makes you feel any better," Draco said with a snicker, "so did I. And I knew _nothing_ compared to you."

A soft smile curled her lips as she blinked heavy lids at him. "You really didn't know anything." Then she sobered, reaching up to sweep his fringe from his eyes. "But yet, you both saved me. I was lucky to have run into you."

Draco shook his head slowly, humbled by her words. "We were lucky to find you. And not just here on the island."

Sadness tugged at her brow as she shifted up to look at him easier. Her eyes shone with moisture, and Draco swept the pad of his thumb below her eye. 

"I didn't realise―" She fell silent again, thinning her lips. "I didn't know how important you would both become to me and―"

"It's okay," Draco murmured, brushing the moisture that broke free with his lips. "Neither did we."

Hermione melted into his touch, her eyes falling shut with a tight press of her eyelids. When they opened again, Draco swallowed at the look on her face.

"I haven't known how to navigate so much of this," she said quietly, "and you've both been _more_ than I could have possibly imagined―and I don't want to ever cross the lines between you, but I just... I don't always know what to make of this and―"

Draco huffed a breath, staring at her. "I love you."

She fell silent, eyes startled wide.

"I have fallen in love with you," he repeated softly, drawing in a shaky breath as he felt emotion sting in the recesses of his chest. "And Theo knows, and you have never _once_ crossed any lines or disrespected the relationship between us. You have become more than either of us ever hoped for in a third. And you should know that."

Silent tears slid down her cheeks as he spoke, and at last she choked a sort of half-laugh, half-sob, and when she leaned in to kiss him, Draco could feel her tears on his own cheeks.

"I love you," she breathed against his lips, kissing him again, her hands sliding into his hair before she pulled back, chocolate eyes dancing with the flames.

Draco smiled, true warmth swelling within him as he pulled her tight against him. So many fears, worries, hesitations fell from him, sloughed away beneath the brightness of the moon.

"I know it's fast," he murmured, pressing another kiss to her forehead, "and it might not always make sense. You don't need to say yes right away―but Theo and I thought you might like to move in with us at some point. You can use the extra room for an actual office if you like."

She gave him a watery smile. "That sounds perfect."

"Good." He dragged a hand down her back, trailing his fingertips along her spine, and for some length of time he couldn't even measure, he simply allowed himself to exist. Without any concerns for what tomorrow or returning home once again might bring. Peace settled within his soul, fully and completely, for the first time Draco could remember in a long time.

He had come to learn that peace was always fleeting. So for the moment, he allowed himself to indulge until Hermione drifted to sleep in his hold. And with Theo asleep on his other side, Draco clung to every brief, ephemeral instant of peace he could find until his own eyelids drooped with sleep.

And one at a time, he moved them into the tent and tucked them below the covers, settling in with an almost unbearable lightness in his chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading <3 I hope you enjoyed the chapter!


	12. Chapter 12

A fresh day dawned, and Theo blinked awake; after several long moments, his circumstances clarified, and though he could only remember being outside by the fire, he awoke in bed with Draco's arm beneath his neck.

Theo shifted, a sound of contentment falling from his lips. Soon they would return to the ruins―and with any luck it would be the last time. But for now Theo wanted to enjoy all the warmth and comfort he could.

Draco's lips met the shell of his ear with a quiet, "Good morning."

A lazy smile lifted Theo's lips as he rolled inward, finding Hermione tucked on Draco's other side, curled in close. She blinked sleepy eyes across Draco's chest at him and stifled a yawn into her palm.

Releasing a sigh, Draco sank back into the pillows, staring up at the bowed ceiling of the tent. "Do either of you reckon we ought to find some buried treasure today?"

"Might be an idea," Hermione mused, smiling at Theo.

He shrugged in response. "Suppose that sounds alright."

A little over an hour later, Theo found himself on the ground, his legs folded beneath him as he peered up at the lush forest canopy overhead. He fiddled with a fresh vial of the potion in one hand, mind whirring with indecision. Only minutes before, Draco and Hermione had drawn their wands and descended into the ruins below.

They had both been understanding when Theo said he didn't know if he cared to venture down with them―neither of them had attempted to push. Theo wasn't sure whether he had hoped for them to push.

Ultimately, he'd had enough stupid overgrown ruins to last him a lifetime. And if he wasn't there when they discovered the treasure, it would be fine.

_Fine_.

A soft buzzing drew his attention down, and a large bee bounced against a flowered weed near his hand. For a moment, Theo smiled at the insect, watching as it scoured for nourishment to take home. Theo had always liked bees.

His interest in the natural order of things had been one of the things his father hated the most about him.

Which, if Theo was honest, had only made him dig in deeper.

Theo had been far more the proper Slytherin son when he had been a child―when pleasing his father had been the most important thing. Or had it simply been fear driving him? After his father had taken the life of his mother, Theo had never been able to reconcile a true connection with the man. For years, the incident had left him fucked up.

But Draco had been there for him.

Even when Theo thought he might have lost Draco―during those harrowing late years at Hogwarts―Theo had done his best to return the favour and to be the friend Draco needed during those hard times. Merlin knew Theo wouldn't have dealt with the pressure Draco had been under half as well.

He clenched his jaw, grinding his teeth.

_Surely_ he could find some shred of bravery within him for this. For Draco.

Stare lingering for another long moment on the bee, just doing its best for its hive, Theo released a long, arduous sigh.

Hermione had called him brave once. He wondered whether his disinterest in returning into the ruins with them negated the sentiment. Maybe now he was a coward. Even though Theo knew neither Hermione nor Draco cared to hold such a thing against him. After all, they had been the ones to drag his debilitated and useless body out the last time.

But he had his magic this time. It wasn't the same. Was it?

"Fuuuuuck," he groaned to himself, sweeping a hand through his hair. "Fuck, fuck, fuck―"

Theo rose to his feet, his thumb grazing the stopper in the glass vial, warm within his palm. He pointed at the bee. "This is your fault if I die."

Then he slammed the vial in one shot, drew his wand, and Apparated down into the earth below.

* * *

Magic thrummed, thick and aware, as it coursed through her being. Hermione cast Draco a glance, her wand held aloft, and the pair of them pressed onward. Despite the fact that Theo's potion ensured they could use their magic within the ruins, they still didn't know everything about the protective magic that had been left to guard Artakai's treasure.

Whether there wasn't still another side to it they'd yet to discover.

Draco froze, tensing, and hissed, "What was that?"

"I didn't hear any―" Falling silent, she clenched her wand tighter in her fist, eyes roving the darkness. Although the sun beamed down from high above, the shadows beneath the stone structures still lurked on all sides and their wandlight only travelled so far. She heard a scuffle and fumbled her free hand for Draco's arm, pulse throbbing in her ears.

"Okay." Draco swallowed, his throat bobbing, though he shifted a step closer.

They were both tense, even with their magic, and Hermione jumped at another sound drawing nearer. But she sank, relief sweeping through her, when her eyes landed on Theo, his expression pinched as he approached them.

"Theo," Hermione huffed, prying her fingers free of Draco's arm. "What are you doing? I thought you wanted to stay above ground."

"Could have announced yourself," Draco drawled, "rather than giving us both heart attacks."

A soft smile lifted one corner of his mouth. "More fun this way though, isn't it?" Before either of them could respond that _no_ , it wasn't more fun, he turned towards her and ducked his chin. A hint of contrition haunted his hazel eyes. "You said you thought I was brave and I didn't want to let you down now."

Hermione's heart tightened with a lurch in her chest, warmth stinging at the corners of her eyes as she stared at him. A sad smile pulled at her lips as she slowly shook her head. "Theo... you could never let me down."

He took a step nearer, dismay and disbelief lingering in his face, and Hermione coiled her arms around his neck, drawing him closer. Vaguely, she noticed Draco drift away to inspect the nearest structure.

"I wanted to be brave for you," he said softly into the space between them. "For both of you, but... for you."

Her heart beat an anxious cadence, lodged somewhere within her throat, and Hermione couldn't have looked away if she tried. She trailed her fingers along the patrician line of his cheekbone, emotion swelling within her like a wave set to crash.

The words fell from her lips. "I love you, Theo."

For a stifling, terrifying moment, his face remained blank. Then a flicker of disbelief, a hint of humour, and his brows pulled into a knit as he stared at her. "You're lying―"

"Am not―"

"You can't _possibly―_ "

But then he cut himself off, drawing her into a searing kiss, his hands sliding back into her hair as he said against her lips, "I love you so much, Hermione."

The tension and fear she had felt dissolved under his touch, replaced with a fluttering of joy that built within her until a great laugh burst free as she drew back, swiping at one eye as a wide smile spread across her face.

"You prat," she huffed, "why would I lie about that?"

"Because why would you―"

Draco interrupted them, slinging one arm around each of their shoulders. But he only released a long breath through his nose, shaking his head. Theo's fingers laced between hers, his hand firm as it squeezed her own.

"As poorly timed as all this is," Draco said quietly, "I wouldn't trade this moment for anything."

Hermione sobered, her heart overflowing with a love she never could have imagined for each of the men at her sides. Draco pressed a kiss against her forehead, and then Theo's, and his eyes darkened when he looked between them.

"I love you both," she whispered, the words leaving her raw and vulnerable and as though she had bared a part of herself she hadn't yet fully discovered. "And I never thought I would feel this way about one person, let alone two. Thank you for allowing me into your lives."

Snagging her lower lip with her teeth, she looked up at each of them, her heart tumbling and tumultuous. Theo's eyes were a little glassy, Draco's face soft, and she couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips.

"Anyway," Theo said quietly, as he brought the back of her hand to his lips, his other hand mussing Draco's hair. "Someone said something about treasure?"

"Okay," Hermione whispered with a titter. "Let's get back to it."

* * *

Draco paced forward, his footfalls a little softer than usual, as they spread out and scoped the stone ruins for something they might have missed the last time without their magic. As he cast a series of revealing spells on what might have once been some sort of gathering place, Draco felt a shiver chase the length of his spine.

Theo hadn't known exactly how long the potion might last in their system―and they still didn't know how much of Artakai's protection still lingered on the ruins―but Draco had no interest in finding out. They had more than enough of the potion, and they knew it worked well enough to allow them use of their magic while inside the ruins.

By a conservative estimate, they would need to replenish the potion in their systems every hour.

His heart twinged as he assessed a small, two-room domicile, and he wondered who might have once lived there. If they had fled before the whole society had been buried below ground.

But nothing jumped out, triggered by any of his spells, and Draco thought again of the underground cavern they had stumbled across the last time before the rest of the concealing magic broke free and chased them from the ruins.

He knew, somewhere within his being, that the answers they sought would be down that stairwell.

Draco didn't care for dark, spooky chambers all that much, and he knew Theo hated to be underground in general. But he had forgone his own comfort for them, and Draco loved him all the more for it. So when he caught up with Theo, slinging an arm around him, Draco pulled him into his chest.

"I'm proud of you," he murmured as Theo's nose wrinkled.

"Told you once," Theo huffed, "I wasn't letting you and Hermione have all the fun."

"We all know this isn't _that_ fun."

Theo didn't respond, so Draco simply drew back. "Let's stick together, yeah?"

A hint of relief crossed his face. "Yeah."

Hermione had already gone deeper than either of them, the warm glow of light from her wand casting a beacon as to her whereabouts, and they followed the narrow pathway between buildings deeper into the ruins. Although they had magic now―and could Apparate back to the surface in an instant if they needed to―he still felt the tension of the search within him.

At last they caught up to Hermione at the centre of the ruins: the intricate stone circle that wrapped around the staircase and led into the damp cavernous space below.

"Are we sure we want to do this?" she asked quietly, her gaze lifting towards them.

"Yes." Clenching his jaw hard, Theo nodded. "Before I lose my nerve again."

Draco nudged him in the side.

"Okay." Hermione released a breath, lifting her wand once more. "I'll go first. Whatever we did to trigger the release of the protective magic shouldn't be of concern anymore. Just..."

"Whatever else is down there in the dark," Draco drawled with a flippant shrug. "Sounds lovely."

As Hermione descended the stairs, Draco and Theo close behind her, she cast a series of incantations―spell-breaking, ward-lifting, protection, and a number of others he didn't even recognise. But the abundance of magic teased along the surface of his skin, a strange mix of unnerving and comforting.

The thin beams of their flashlights from the last time they’d ventured down provided less light than their combined illumination spells now, but Draco still couldn't see into the deepest recesses of the caverns. Somewhere in the distance, water dripped into a pool, the miniscule splashes echoing through the chamber. Theo's hand slipped into Draco's without a word.

"Okay," Hermione said quietly, more to herself than anything. Her gaze roved the shadowy areas where their light couldn't reach as she took a few steps away from the stairwell. She froze, waiting, when she reached the point where the magic had been triggered the last time but then proceeded onwards.

Draco felt a prickling of perspiration along his spine, his breathing coming out a little sharp and unsteady.

The air in the chamber was dead and stifling, as though it had been trapped and stagnant for some untold number of years.

As he edged along with Hermione, peering into the darkness as well as he could without deviating too far from the central pathway, his nerves played in the back of his mind, insistent and relentless.

"There's something ahead," she whispered, falling back to walk alongside. "Some sort of structure." 

Draco caught sight of a stone pillar, though the vines and foliage that had covered the stone above was absent. Great cracks and fissures split the pillars, but enough of them still stood that Draco could see a vague pattern to them.

"It's a temple," he breathed.

A breath slipped from Theo at his other side. "To Artakai?"

Hermione shook her head. "Artakai fancied himself a ruler of men but never more than that. If this was a temple, it was dedicated to a deity. Not a lot is understood about the cultural and religious practices of this society, but they were polytheistic―they worshipped many gods." Fascination danced across her face as she ascended the few steps that led inside, despite that much of it had crumbled to rubble on the floor. "I wonder why it’s buried down here."

"Maybe for the same reason he buried the entire bloody kingdom," Draco muttered, his voice hushed as they peered around the vast temple.

If there was an entire structure like this below the main level of the ruins, the cavern was obviously much larger than he had expected.

A narrow cobbled path led down the centre of the temple, tall pillars depicting the outer edges, and between lay a minefield of rock and intricate carvings, eroded and shattered.

"It looks like something went wrong here." Theo was the first to voice the sentiment. "If this was trapped here... why is everything destroyed?"

"No one knows what ultimately became of the society―or of King Artakai himself," Hermione mused, peering sideways at a large carved face laid on the ground, its jaw larger than Draco's entire foot. "This must have been one of their gods."

"Oh good," Theo huffed. "They must be angry over this treatment."

Despite himself, Draco snickered. "You don't even know their names."

"Still." Theo shot him a stare. "It feels... sacred in here."

Hermione hummed, coming to a stop just ahead of Draco, and he caught her hips as he nearly stumbled into her. "You're right," she breathed, "it does."

Draco followed her stare towards some sort of stone altar. Above it, a statue held a carving of a crescent moon within its hands, and its neighbour, standing in the inverse, held what Draco could only assume was a crude depiction of the sun.

Rummaging in her bag, Hermione drew out a camera, and she crept closer, snapping several photographs. Draco hadn't noticed her using it before, but she must have done while they were separated.

She stared for a long moment, reverent. "This is remarkable." Hesitant, she trailed her fingers along the rough surface of the altar, and Draco wondered briefly how the temple must have once looked in its glory. Before time and nature had taken such a toll.

"It honestly is," Theo said. "It makes me wonder at how they lived. They had crude homes but such an elaborate temple. They practiced religion, but we've seen no evidence of war or weaponry."

Draco hadn't noticed such a thing, and his eyes crept to Theo in surprise. "Maybe they were peaceful―or there was nothing here to disturb them."

The three of them stood, ruminating, and finally Draco took a step around the altar. "You don't suppose _this_ was Artakai's treasure. A busted up old temple."

"No," Hermione mused, "although Theo's right. This temple must have been important to them. I wonder about their demise―especially given all we know about Artakai. He wasn't exactly a _pleasant_ ruler."

Theo peered closer at the twin statues clutching the sun and moon, holding the carvings towards one another. "Maybe he was an usurper. The people were otherwise peaceful, but he didn't see things the same way."

Draco swallowed, glancing back towards them. "Look at this here." Beneath the back of the altar, a thin stone panel sat atop the ground, one corner chipped away entirely. As Theo and Hermione appeared on either side of him, he released a long breath. "Some sort of trapdoor, maybe."

Releasing a long breath, Theo stared at the ground, and Draco nudged his foot.

"We're already _incredibly_ far below sea level," Theo said, the comment seemingly offhand, but Draco knew him well enough to recognise the waver. He offered a thin, half-hearted smile. "What's a little deeper?"

But Hermione frowned, her gaze flitting back towards the staircase. "It's a fair mention. Surely the water table would have flooded the ruins at some point if not for Artakai's protection."

"If it's so protected, why is everything destroyed and overgrown?" Draco asked. He swallowed around a hard lump in his throat, eyeing the trapdoor once more. "We have no idea what we're up against, and even with our magic, we know nothing about the sort of ancient practice they did here."

Theo carded a hand through his hair and released a low sound of aggravation. With a string of expletives under his breath, he rummaged through his satchel for three more vials of the shielding potion. "Drink the fuck up."

Although Draco stared hard at him for a moment, Theo only tossed back his own vial, his jaw clenched in so hard a line that Draco feared he might shatter his own teeth. "Theo, you don't have to do this."

" _I_ don't know if we should do this," Hermione breathed. "With each step further into the ruins, we've disturbed some fresh hell of Artakai's magic. Do we honestly want to go even deeper?"

"We can Apparate at the first sign of trouble," Draco mused, "and re-assess."

Hermione stared at him for a moment before her gaze slid back to the ground. "Do you reckon the treasure is down there?"

Trepidation hovered within every part of him, but Draco could sense that they were close. He dragged the heel of his boot from one corner to the opposite―and then crossed it in the inverse. She released a sharp breath, following his movements through the settled layer of dust with a nod.

"X marks the spot," she whispered.

"What else could it be?"

Theo tugged at his collar, shifting on the spot as he paced the floor in front of the altar. "If we're going, let's go."

Steeling herself with another deep breath, Hermione crouched down behind the altar and brushed a hand along the surface of the door. Rubbing her fingers together, she peered at the dust that came loose in a gentle cloud into the air above. She drank her vial, refreshing the potion's efficacy, and Draco followed suit.

Ignoring the twinge in his heart and the voracious cadence of his heart, Draco watched as she slitted her fingers along the edge where the door separated from the stone floor, sliding them along the narrow track.

Draco pulled Theo's hand into his own, his breath going shallow.

"Okay," she whispered, peering up at each of them for a moment. "Okay."

Adjusting his wand in white knuckles, his palm damp, Draco nodded and echoed, "Okay. We're with you."

Merlin only fucking knew how a pair of Slytherins had wound up miles below the surface on a spit of land in the Atlantic, braving dangerous magic and mysterious circumstances to descend still deeper into the earth in search of some unknown prize in the middle of an ancient fucking temple.

As though reading his mind, Theo whispered, "This is bloody insane."

Hermione's hands shook a little as she slid her nails below the panel and lifted it free.

Draco hadn't been certain whether he'd anticipated some sort of struggle, but only a silent, gaping hole faced them, utterly black and stifling.

He ducked lower, casting the light from his wand into the opening, and Hermione's eyes caught his in the brief instant before she peered deeper in.

"There's some sort of stairwell," she breathed, reaching her own wand in to cast the light further out. Her face went carefully stoic, lips thinned, and she added, "I'm not going to ask either of you to come any farther."

"You aren't asking," Draco murmured, ducking in to press a swift kiss to her lips. "You don't have to ask. I'm not letting you go alone."

"Neither am I," Theo muttered, joining them in a crouch. "If this is it, we're going in together."

Visibly grounding herself before she could lose her nerve, Hermione glanced briefly once more at each of them and slipped through the opening, descending into the level below. In only a matter of seconds, the darkness swallowed her up, and Draco gave Theo's shoulder a brief squeeze before he took a step down after her.

The stairs were simultaneously narrow and steep, a sharp contrast to the elaborate stairwell that led from the ruins above, and spiralled on the spot deep into the earth.

If he was honest, Draco didn't even know where they were anymore. For all he could tell, they ought to have been in the middle of the ocean given how far down they already were.

Masani was too small an island to be anchored so deep.

But maybe the ruins had never been on Masani to begin with. Maybe their location here, below the forest of an otherwise innocuous piece of land, was all part of the concealment. Hermione had even said no one knew where the ruins were supposed to be―or where they had once been.

Perhaps at some point between the surface and here, they'd transcended the laws of science and nature altogether, ushered deeper in by Artakai's magic.

The ominous thought lurked in the recesses of his mind as his feet hit hard ground once more, and he found Hermione's anxious brown eyes in the darkness beside him. Moments later, Theo joined them, his wand clenched tightly in his hand.

Draco could feel within him that this area was much smaller than the cavernous level above. The air, which had felt stagnant above, now threatened to asphyxiate the breath from his lungs entirely. A prickling of magic, too ancient and unfamiliar to belong to any of them, brushed against his core, grazing his skin and setting his nerve endings alight.

The chamber itself was carved from the earth, and Draco knew, intrinsically, only magic held it from crumbling altogether like the carved statues above. He could see one wall, and barely the span of his reach across―so close he could nearly touch both sides at once―was the other.

The spiral stairs had brought them down along one end of the chamber, and it led back the way they'd come, beneath the temple.

"Just casually hating this," Theo voiced, the sound startling Draco out from the pensive silence that had begun to consume them.

But Hermione tittered. "I can't say I'm loving it either."

Draco felt they weren't alone, magic so heavy on the air that he could taste the sharp tang of it. The thought made the contents of his stomach curdle, and he was glad they hadn't had a heavy breakfast.

"Let's go."

Bunched together within the narrow space, they made their way along the passage, the light from their wand tips meek and low in the darkness, as though hiding from the deeper, older magic that threatened to encompass them all.

It didn't take long before they reached an empty archway at the other end, and Hermione raised a hand in silence as she performed a series of disarming and identification spells. He heard the sizzle and hiss of the magic responding to her spells, and the air grew noticeably lighter.

With a thick swallow, Draco wondered what might have happened if they had simply walked through the archway.

Hermione swiped her brow with one hand, her fingers quaking around her wand so hard that Draco caught her in his arms, drawing her briefly into his chest.

"Take a breath," he murmured, brushing a kiss into her hair. She sucked in a shallow, shaky inhale, and released it. "Now another one." Her next breath came deeper, a little more steady, and Draco could feel her chest brush against his own as her lungs expanded. For several moments, he simply held her, until she looked up with a bit of a smile, the tension sunken from her shoulders.

Theo merely watched on, gazing around in the darkness.

Finally Hermione stepped back, her hand steady once more.

"We're okay," Draco breathed. "You've almost got it."

He didn't know well enough the obscure magic she dealt in to be of much help as she continued with her spells, detecting the intent of the magic that hung around them like an uninvited guest.

"Honestly," Theo huffed, as another powerful spell sloughed away, "it isn't as if Artakai could take it with him. Why go to all this effort to conceal his treasure so no one could find it after he was gone."

"He might not have believed that," Hermione returned quietly.

Draco followed her meaning, thinking of the temple above; littered with the carefully crafted statues of their gods, fallen and deteriorated by the hand of time. "Maybe he meant to take his treasures into the next life―whatever he believed."

Blowing out another breath, Hermione swept the hair from her brow and traced her fingers along the curve of the archway. Draco lurched forward on instinct, reaching for her hand, but he froze when nothing happened.

"Whatever he thought," she whispered, "didn't come to fruition. I can feel it―what we're searching for is on the other side of this opening. I _think_ I have them all but if I miss _one_ spell..."

No one had to vocalise the thought. They could still feel the malice in the magic, waiting to unleash its power on an unwitting visitor.

"I can still feel something." As he watched her work, Draco's eyes narrowed in and, as she lowered her wand, he hissed, "Wait." He brushed his own fingers along the curve of the arch. "These symbols."

"They're the same as the ones above," Theo offered, and Draco's head snapped to face him. "The intricate stonework around the staircase in the centre of the ruins." Squinting in the darkness, he shook his head. "Some form of runic alphabet."

The three of them shared a glance and Draco felt his heart sink.

If Artakai had guarded his stash with protective runes they couldn't read, they'd come all this way for nothing. No matter what they did, the runes would rebuke their efforts. And if they couldn't get through the magic, they would never find what lay beyond.

"I don't know how to dismantle runes I can't interpret," Hermione said unnecessarily, when they all understood the implications.

But Theo hadn't looked away, tracing the runes with his own fingertips against the dark clay.

"Theo?" Draco asked. "You had the Outstanding Ancient Runes NEWT."

Hermione's brows furrowed. "I remember that, actually. You were the only one."

"It isn't a dialect I know," Theo said, his voice low, but it didn't carry the note of defeat Draco had expected. "That doesn't mean I can't interpret it using what I _do_ know. _This line_ , for instance, could mean" ―he shook his head with a grimace― "if only I had some sort of translation guide to base it on―"

"I have one."

Hermione blinked at each of them expectantly, and despite himself, Draco felt his lips curl up into a smirk. "Of course you do," he said fondly.

Distracted by the runes―which Draco could now see were carved into the entirety of the arch―Theo held out a hand while Hermione rummaged through her pack, digging out three tomes from within its endless depths.

Theo merely cocked a brow and took all three, sifting through each of them in the vague light of Draco's wand before he selected one and returned the others. "This one's the oldest," he muttered with a frown. "I'll see what I can find―but I make no promises I'm not going to get us all killed."

"Reassuring as ever," Draco huffed, leaning back against the wall as he glanced at his watch. It was just getting on towards the early afternoon. "See what you can find?"

Theo's jaw clenched. "I'll do my best."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed the chapter - we're nearing the end! xo  
> Alpha love to curly_kay and beta hugs to ravenslight.


	13. Chapter 13

Hermione scrubbed at her eyes with the heel of her palm, squinting in the dim yellow light from their wands. "Are you making _any_ sense of this?"

"Nope." Draco sank back against the hard earth of the wall, sweeping a hand through his messy hair. "Runes never came easily to begin with."

Theo gnawed at the end of his quill, eyes narrowed in contemplation. "A little," he admitted, "although a lot of it's speculative."

"Speculation won't keep us from turning into dust," Draco grumbled. And while Hermione wanted to contradict the aggressive sentiment, he had a point.

Theo cocked a brow. "Obviously."

She blew out a long breath. They'd been attempting to decipher the runes along the archway for hours now and they were running out of day. "Maybe we should just copy this all out and take it back to the tent. We can work on it there."

For whatever reason, none of them had suggested they retreat and work in the relative comfort of their tent, and Hermione hadn't felt inclined either. Remaining within the dank cavern lent a sort of urgency to the matter, and a part of her was afraid that if they left they wouldn't be able to get back in. An even smaller part suggested they might not have the nerve to come back.

Draco slung one arm around her shoulders, checking the watch on his other wrist. "Honestly, I'm bloody hungry."

"As much as I want to figure this out," Theo said with a sigh, "I think you're right. Our minds are tired and I don't want to be down here after it gets dark." Rising to his feet, he carefully copied the exact lines of the runes along the archway onto a blank sheet of parchment―Hermione had brought plenty of supplies along―and made two other duplicates. "With any luck we can figure this out with fresh eyes and come back tomorrow."

Although she felt a flicker of disappointment, Hermione nodded. "We aren't going to get anywhere like this. Let's head back for now."

Stowing her materials away, she watched as Theo tucked his own notes into his satchel, and as she stood and dusted herself off, he walked up and wrapped his arms around her from behind.

"Hi," Hermione said, surprised, when he dropped his chin to her shoulder. "Are you doing alright?"

Theo considered the thought for a moment. "Yes. It helps to keep my mind busy." He planted a kiss to her cheek. "We're going to figure this out, even if it takes a little time."

A smirk curled Draco's lips, his grey eyes glinting in the dull light. "Surely, between the three of us we can outwit some old _king_ , right?"

"Right." Hermione snickered, her heart stuttering as Draco took hold of her hips, effectively sandwiching her between them. She dropped her voice, releasing a tight breath. "I think the three of us could probably do anything we set our minds to."

Draco's smile shifted into something a little more genuine, and he kissed first her and then Theo. "I think you're exactly right."

One by one, they climbed the steep spiral staircase into the crumbling temple above, and Hermione sucked in a deep breath of air. The air in the second-level cavern, which had felt stale and enclosed before they descended, was comparatively fresh relative to the narrow passage below.

The light from their wands flared brighter, casting ominous shadows on the carved faces of the unknown gods, and Hermione felt a shiver trawl the length of her spine.

"Let's get to the top and we can Apparate back to the camp," Draco said, his voice hushed as they struck a quick pace back through the temple towards the staircase.

After hours below ground, breaking the surface into the ruins above lightened the tension in Hermione's body as she sucked in deep lungfuls of fresh air. The sun had already set, the sky above them a deep indigo twinkling with an array of stars. The dilapidated structures on the surface looked different by the light of the moon, wisps of cloud drifting along the otherwise clear night sky.

Hermione couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. Her gaze flitted through the darkness, breaths coming shallow until Theo pulled her into his chest and Apparated them both away.

After a brief, cold shower in the tent and a hot meal around the fire, fatigue already catching up with her after an emotionally harrowing day, Hermione retreated into the tent. Theo already sat at the small table in the kitchen area, a pair of black reading frames perched on his nose as he stared at several sheets of parchment laid out before him.

They had spent hours after returning back to the tent still picking through the material. Stifling a yawn, Hermione sank into the seat next to him. "It isn't the end of the world if we don't figure this out tonight, Theo."

"I know." His hazel eyes caught hers for a brief moment, his face warming with a smile. He grazed her cheekbone with the pad of his thumb, tilting her face towards his for a kiss. When he drew back, he tucked his chin and stared at her.

Hermione smiled in return. She and Theo hadn't had any quiet time alone all day, aside from the brief moment wherein she had confessed that she loved him.

"So erm," he muttered, glancing away, "you doing alright?"

Her smile faltered. "Just fine. Yourself?"

"Great," he clipped, waving a vague hand at his spread of parchment, most of which Hermione couldn't understand without a translator on hand. "Seeing what I can find in all this mess, and―"

"Theo." He fell silent, thinning his lips. "Are you uncomfortable over what I said earlier?"

Theo clicked his tongue several times, fidgeting with his hands, but his gaze remained locked on the table. "I don't want you to feel obligated to―"

"Theo―"

"I only mean, we haven't been together all that long, and―"

"If I've upset you in some way," Hermione breathed, her heart sinking into her stomach, "I never meant to rush you or―"

Theo released a tight breath and she fell silent, brows knitting on her forehead as she stared at him.

"I don't know," he began, the words carefully measured, "how to be loved by anyone other than Draco." His eyes darted up to hers, his face guarded. "And that isn't to say I _don't want to_ , and Merlin, no, you haven't made me uncomfortable." He gave a bit of a gruff chuckle and Hermione's heart clenched for him. "I don't remember my mother that well, and it took me a long time to wrap my head around the idea that Draco _actually_ cared about me, and―I don't want to frighten you off."

The admission settled into her heart, drawing the hot sting of moisture to the corners of her eyes. "If you were going to frighten me off," she whispered, "I reckon you would have done so already. I love you, Theo, and I'm not just saying that."

His jaw hardened, but Hermione could see the flicker of hope in his eyes.

Threading her fingers through the hair at the back of his head, she leaned in, pressing her lips against his. "I can't explain it, and Merlin knows how it happened like it did, but... I've fallen for you both."

Theo sucked in a long breath, the exhale wavering a little, before he turned towards her fully. "Draco said he asked whether you wanted to move in with us at some point."

"And I told him I would like that."

At last, a slow grin dragged across his face as he stared at her, then he shook his head slowly as if in disbelief. "You honestly must be crazy, then, if you think that's―" Cutting himself off, he pulled her in for another heated, searing kiss, delving between her lips. When he drew back with a bite to her bottom lip, his eyes shone with emotion. "I love you, too."

Her heart sang at the words, and tracing the lines of his cheeks and jaw with her fingers, she breathed, "We'll figure it out, Theo. One step at a time if we have to. But for as long as you both want me, I'm here."

"Okay."

Hermione entwined their fingers, giving his hand a squeeze. "This work will still be here in the morning. Come to bed, Theo."

"Coming from _that_ one," Draco spoke as he drifted through the entrance of the tent, "it probably means you need a break."

Flashing him a grin, Hermione murmured, "See, we're all being agreeable except you."

"I'm agreeable," Theo drawled. When both Hermione and Draco stared at him, brows high, he released a huff. "Fine. I can't say no to either one of you."

"You could," Hermione teased, "but deep down, you know we're right. If we're going to solve these runes tomorrow we'll need rest."

Draco took Theo's other hand, pulling him to his feet and into his chest, and Hermione smiled as he ducked in and spoke quietly beside Theo's ear. But two sets of eyes landed on her, and Theo's lips twitched with humour.

Hermione folded her arms with mocked affront. "Why do I get the feeling you're talking about me?"

Catching Theo's earlobe between his teeth, Draco glanced at her. "Because we are." The warmth in his grey eyes danced. "All good, I promise. Now get yourself ready for bed because I don't know about either of you, but I'm tired as hell."

Her heart floated, buoyant in her chest, and she could only smile.

* * *

Theo startled awake, eyes wide in an instant. Runes whirled around his brain as he drew in a sharp breath.

Draco and Hermione clung to him on either side, and it was an exercise in stealth and caution to untangle himself from between them without stirring them both awake.

"Theo, what're doing," Hermione murmured into his shoulder, her words slurred with sleep.

"Shh," he hushed, nudging her closer towards Draco as he clambered over top of her in bed. Briefly, he watched as the pair of them entwined with one another, still mostly asleep, and darted from the bedroom.

He rubbed the sleep from his eyes, slipped his glasses on, and carded a hand through his mussed hair. Staring at the lines of text that had evaded him the night before, his brain muddled with the fog of sleep, Theo hurriedly drafted several messy lines on a blank sheet of parchment. He muttered under his breath as he scratched out his effort at a rune the night before, and modified its meaning into a neighbouring form with crisp, concise lines.

With a grimace, he skimmed the runes embedded in Artakai's archway once more.

Dragging his finger along the intricate drawing, he absently scratched the stubble on his jaw.

His gaze slid from the arch to the rune he'd just drafted, and with an incredulous breath, a slow grin spread across his face. "Fuck you, Artakai," he whispered to himself.

* * *

By the time Draco and Hermione emerged from the bedroom an hour later, yawning and groping at one another, Theo had just finished preparing breakfast for the three of them.

"Good morning," he drawled, flashing the pair of them a banal smile. "Sleep well?"

"We did," Hermione said, hesitating in the middle of the room. "What's the matter with you? When I first woke up you tore out of bed like a mermaid was on your tail."

Draco snickered and Theo fixed him with an unimpressed stare. "Of course you told her about that. Why am I not surprised."

"It was fucking funny," Draco retorted, helping himself to a cup of coffee as Hermione drifted over to peer at what he was making.

" _Anyway_ ," Theo pressed on, "all teasing Theo aside, I had a thought that I wanted to check. And you both looked so peaceful I didn't want to disturb you _because I'm nice_."

Although Draco only flashed him a grin, Hermione's face fell with contrition. "We're only playing. What did you find?"

"The runes on Artakai's archway," he began, piling three plates into Hermione's hands, "weren't completely foreign after all. It's an ancient dialect of one of the forms I studied in Babbling's class in seventh year for extra credit." When Hermione cocked a brow, Theo added, "I missed a few classes because of the Carrows―don't ask. At the time I thought it was utter nonsense, but she made me memorise the basics of it and I still remember most of it now."

"I remember you mentioning that," Draco mused, stirring sugar into his coffee. He took a sip, wincing when the brew scalded his tongue. "But we weren't..."

"Right." He and Draco hadn't been as close in seventh year because every time Theo tried to help, Draco had rebuked his efforts in order to keep him out of it.

"So what did you determine?" Hermione asked, still staring up at him, the plates clutched to her chest. Theo tucked a handful of cutlery into her free hand, and nudged her towards the table, then delivered his breakfast to the table before slipping into his seat.

"Going to kill us with the suspense, are you," Draco teased.

" _No_. Merlin, you're in a mood," Theo bit out, rolling his eyes. But his lips twitched. "I only deciphered the runes on the archway." When Hermione's eyes blew wide, mouth falling open, he added, "And modified the dialect of the runes to disarm them to suit."

Draco's face warmed with a wicked smile. "Brilliant." He glanced towards Hermione, pride shining in his eyes. "Theo's brilliant."

When Hermione only continued to stare blankly, Theo brandished the sheet of parchment where he'd worked out the solution and quipped, "Eat up. We haven't got all day for you to _not_ eat your breakfast."

He followed her gaze to the rune that hung, dead centre over the archway, surrounded by protective symbols. Peeling the crust from his toast, he smiled. " _Yes_ , that one says gold."

"Gold," she whispered under her breath. "Draco's right; brilliant."

Theo ducked in, brushing a kiss to her temple. "It isn't necessary, but you two can keep repeating that if you like."

Draco flashed him a grin across the table. "Fucking brilliant."

* * *

For the second time in two days, Draco found himself trapped in a narrow, dank passage deep below ground, the yellow glow from their wands the only source of light. Draco had never cared for Ancient Runes and had only taken the course through the NEWT level because he hadn't known at the time that he meant to become a potioneer. Every so often he needed to utilise runes in his work, but it was thankfully infrequent and rudimentary.

Looking at Theo and Hermione, he might have thought he'd walked in on a rune-lovers club if he didn't know any better. But still, it made him smile to watch the way they theorised and discussed Artakai's runes embedded in the clay archway. At least _someone_ knew well enough how to read it. Draco’s efforts the afternoon prior had left him with a headache and nothing to show for it.

"I think we need to break this protection rune first," Theo was saying, tapping one sigil on the wall.

He had worn his glasses―Draco always liked when Theo wore his glasses.

Hermione shook her head, folding her arms as she shifted on the spot. "If you think that's best, I'll defer to you." When Theo only gestured forward, she carried on. "I thought we might release this one, _then_ that one. Minimise the strength of the protection before we try to lift it altogether."

Draco only cared that they made it through the arch without disintegrating. Maybe Hermione's initial warning about them turning to dust hadn't been so far off, after all.

They both turned towards him, expectant, and Draco's brows shot up. He hummed thoughtfully, rubbing at his jaw. "Yeah. I mean, that sounds fine."

Theo snorted and turned back to the wall. It was a wonder they still consulted him anyway when Draco had contributed essentially nothing in almost an hour since they'd descended back down through the trapdoor.

"Okay," Theo said, blowing out a breath. "We'll try that."

Draco watched on, attempting to steady the rush in his heart; adrenaline coursed through his veins with a dull roar behind his ears as they both approached the arch.

"Be careful," he cautioned, and Theo offered him a thin smile as he drew his wand.

Draco stood back, eyes narrowed in the darkness as he watched Theo trace a rune with his wand over the opening.

"It should negate the strength of the protection," Hermione mused, as though she wasn't certain whether Draco didn't understand what they were doing or if he had simply tuned out.

In reality, it was a mixture of both. But he nodded, with a sharp, "My rune-breaking skills are rusty, I'm afraid."

Theo stepped back. "Nothing."

"That can't be right." Hermione paced forward, peering at the rune where it overlaid the existing one. She cross-referenced with their notes. "This should have worked."

"Theo," Draco muttered, ducking his chin low. Nerves crawled along the surface of his skin and he clenched his jaw.

As though reading his tone, Theo grimaced. "Maybe."

"What is it?" Hermione asked, gnawing her lower lip.

If their magic hadn't worked, and if Artakai had originally drawn the runes with intrinsic earth magic―the man had a bloody temple with an altar, for Merlin's sake―the chance that it would require blood to break such arcane magic was highly probable.

Theo opened his palm, lifting his wand again, when Draco caught his wrist.

Meeting his eye, Draco mused, "Malfoy or Nott."

Pursing his lips, Theo lowered his wand as he clicked his tongue. He lifted his brows. "Nott should be fine."

The Nott line was almost as old as his own, but for the mingling of two ancient lines in Draco's veins. That could have next to no bearing on such an ancient form of magic based in a different country, however―if it had even been crafted on this same island. Draco still wasn't convinced the ruins hadn't been relocated.

Even so, Draco brandished his hand. "It's up to you." He'd been otherwise useless through most of this phase of their investigation.

"Oh," Hermione said, her voice and presence shrinking as she eyed them. "I see." Draco couldn't quite tell in the shadowy lighting, but he thought the colour might have drained from her face and she shifted a step back.

Theo took Draco's hand between both of his, holding his stare for a moment, before he whispered a soft incantation to initiate the rite and drew a clean cut along Draco's life line with his palm. A thin trail of blood seeped free, a small accumulation of liquid pooling in his hand, nearly black in the dim light.

Still watching Draco's face, Theo dipped the tip of his wand in Draco's blood like a quill into ink, before he turned back towards the arch and drew the rune once more.

The thin, steady lines flashed a bright white―and then both Theo's rune and the rune below it faded away into nothing.

A breath caught in his throat.

"Theo," Hermione breathed, stepping forward once more, as though she'd come to terms with their utilisation of blood magic―often considered a form of dark magic in itself despite its earthly roots. She swallowed, looking at each of them in turn. "It worked."

A slow grin crept across Theo's face. "One rune down―seven to go."

* * *

After everything, Hermione almost couldn't believe it.

The sight of blood left her queasy at the best of times, but the idea that Theo and Draco had used blood magic to break the runes was jarring. Innately, however, blood magic was an ancient form of magic in itself, so it made sense that it was the only way to break the runes.

They were efficient about it, and Theo sealed the cut on Draco's hand once he was through, planting a kiss to Draco's palm with a wicked glint in his eye.

As the last rune faded into the earthen archway, Hermione felt the lingering hints of stifling magic vanish with it. The air felt a little lighter and she drew in a deep breath. When she caught Draco's eye, she knew he felt it, too. The vague shimmer of magic that had hovered in the air through the opening of the arch was gone.

"I'm not going first," Theo said delicately, breaking the silence. 

"That's fair," Hermione said, accepting a vial as he doled out fresh dosages of the shielding potion. Drawing a breath for courage, she glanced at Draco and said, "I'll go first."

Through the opening, a gaping black void stared back at them, as though the light from their wands didn't reach that far. 

Theo threw his empty vial through the archway, and the three of them watched it vanish as soon as it breached the arch. He audibly gulped.

Hermione had no idea what they would be facing on the other side. But as the sole Gryffindor in the group―and the reason all of them were there in the first place―she pressed her eyes shut, blew out a breath, and stepped through.

Her first thought was that she was still alive. The ground below her feet was solid, and a rush of cool air swept by her, several degrees lower than the previous chamber.

"It's safe," she muttered, and moments later, Draco and Theo followed her through, standing at either side.

Waving her wand around to illuminate the space, a breath caught in her throat. Slowly, as though on a delay, light lifted into the antechamber.

Incredulous, Theo asked, "Where are we?"

Hermione clapped a hand over her mouth, tears welling in her eyes and heart racing in her chest.

Before them, expanding in every direction, was a vast field. Far in the distance to her right and left, Hermione could just make out the vague outlines of a forest, and ahead, just visible and minuscule from so far away, some sort of structure.

"Knew it," Draco whispered, and Hermione's head snapped towards him. "Something about the magic below the ruins felt... disorienting."

"Like it was concealing something," Theo added.

Hermione released a breath. "The arch was a portal." The cool air played a gentle breeze on her skin, the grasses below her feet waving languorously and tickling her legs. "Where do you suppose we are now?"

"Artakai's kingdom." Draco offered the words with such certainty she only stared at him, her face faltering. "The _ruins_ were all an elaborate cover-up or something."

" _Shit_ ," Theo huffed. He waved a hand towards the ghostly mirage in the distance. "So what's the actual treasure?"

Hermione ventured forward, quiet birdsong encouraging her as she walked through the meadow towards the structure, calling towards her like a beacon. But despite the vile, malicious magic they'd felt in the ruins, she couldn't help but feel that they'd passed some sort of test.

"Don't tell me Artakai's still alive," Draco drawled, slinging an arm across her shoulders.

"No," Hermione mused, a smile curling her lips. "Not unless he learned how to survive a thousand years or more. But maybe you're right―the ruins were only meant to throw us off the trail, thinking there was nothing to find. Or that it wasn't worth the effort."

As the three of them approached the building in the distance, a sort of reverent hush fell over them. Hermione couldn't quite believe it.

"This is just an outpost. It can't be the kingdom, but whatever's out here has been better kept than the ruins themselves," Theo mused. They drifted to a stop, peering up at some sort of building composed of stone and earth that Hermione couldn't immediately identify due to a strange combination of age and style. "It's been held in stasis all this time?"

She took a few more steps forward, waving her wand towards the door, and it creaked open.

It might have been a small home, but for the utilitarian feel of it. The room was empty aside from a chest against the wall.

Suddenly Theo snickered, flashed them a grin, and began to laugh outright.

Amused, Hermione stopped mid-step to face him. "What?"

"The Runes of Artakai." His lips twitched with humour.

As the words clipped one edge of her brain, Hermione froze, her chest tightening. For a long moment she stared, unseeing, at the far wall, before she jerked her head to face Theo. "What do you―"

"It's a fucking homophone. _Almost_."

Cocking a brow, Draco drawled, "The fuck are you on about?"

"The _treasure_ ," Theo mused. "It wasn't the ruins, it was the runes. Artakai buried his treasure in the heart of the _runes_."

"That can't have been intentional," Hermione whispered, "he _very likely_ didn't know English, and certainly not _modern_ English."

"But whoever interpreted the historical data did," Draco added, a grin spreading across his face as well. "Either someone had a terrible fucking sense of humour of they got it wrong."

"But the _ruins_ ―"

Hermione blinked at each of them, hardly able to comprehend what they were telling her.

"At any rate," Theo said softly, nudging her in the arm. "All _that_ ―the ruins, the magic, the runes―was to protect _this_."

She turned back towards the chest along the far wall; it didn't look like much. The wood scarcely reached her knees and it wasn't much wider, but she chewed her bottom lip for a moment before shaking her head. "Someone else do it. I can't."

A secretive smile tugged at one corner of Theo's mouth. But Draco strode forward, reached for the clasp that secured the chest shut, and swung it open.

Hermione sucked in a breath.

Through the watery blur that had instantly become her vision, she could see the shimmer of gold, silver, emerald, and ruby.

"Shite," Theo hissed at her side. "That's _proper_ treasure alright."

Upon closer inspection, the entirety of the chest was filled with ancient coins, gold and silver and bronze. Chalices and jewels, a variety of precious gemstones, and sculptures carved of gold and other metals.

"Gold was right," Hermione offered, incredulous at the find. She still couldn't quite fathom how they had gone from so far underground into _this_.

"Maybe Artakai never meant to take it with him after all," Draco said quietly, "he just didn't want anyone to have it without a fight."

"Not to be _that person_ ," Theo drawled, "but this is one chest."

Hermione cast him a glance, uncertain whether she had expected more or less. By the nature of the find, she had no idea as to the actual value of everything in the chest.

Flashing them a grin, Draco shoved a hand into the chest, spilling a handful of coins on top. A bright laugh slipped from Hermione's mouth, her eyes crinkling with a smile.

But his face fell blank and unimpressed when his hand slid deeper, eyes rolling towards the stone ceiling.

"What?" Theo asked. He stepped forward, only for Draco to pull his hand back out. Within his fingers he held several ancient-looking sheets of thick, yellowed parchment, preserved through time by the same magic that must have protected the stone outpost.

Snickering, Draco looked at them for a moment before thrusting the sheets into Theo's chest. "More of your beloved runes."

Hermione tensed, a sudden lump in her throat making it hard to swallow. Together she and Theo stared at the pages, and a wry smile curled his lips as he shook his head in disbelief.

"What is it?" Draco asked at last. "You can decipher them now, yeah?"

Theo collapsed to the dirt floor, bending his knees as he leaned against the nearest wall. In a long, drawn out silence, he cross-referenced something on his notes―too brief to have translated anything―but he only continued to shake his head.

"Theo," Hermione breathed, peering over his shoulder. "What did you see?"

One by one, he laid the sheets flat on the floor between them; Hermione peered down, her head spinning as she picked out a few lines here and there that she recognised from the same arcane dialect as the others.

"Yeah," Theo said at last. "We'll be able to decipher them using the modified alphabet we created."

"So," Draco prompted, "why do you look so miserable?"

Theo swept a hand through his hair, blew out a heavy breath, and caught Hermione's eyes. Almost delicately, he dragged the tip of one finger along the outline of a jagged, enclosed shape within the first page and announced, "It's a map." He tapped one of the runes Hermione recognised―the one he'd pointed out for _gold_ ―then trailed along to another one shaped sort of like a crown. Theo pursed his lips. "To the Kingdom of Artakai."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!! <3 I hope you enjoyed the chapter.


	14. Chapter 14

**_Two months later_ **

Draco's fingers entwined with hers, and he dragged her hand to his mouth, lips brushing her knuckles. Hermione beamed at him, biting down on her lower lip as she used the leverage to pull herself closer to him.

Grey eyes shone with warmth when they met hers. Although her gaze briefly flickered to his lips, she shelved the idea for later. They were in public―and while both Draco and Theo had shown her a world she had never imagined, she preferred to keep private matters private.

Keeping his hand within hers, Hermione pulled him down the next aisle, peering at a featured display table of new releases.

"What are you looking for?" Draco asked, fingers grazing the cover of the nearest book before he lifted it to read the back.

Humming, Hermione shook her head. "Nothing specific today." She flashed him a smile. "You know me."

A grin split his face and he snickered. "That I certainly do. And I'm not surprised you―" The amusement dropped from his face in an instant, his hand clenching hers tighter, and Hermione wheeled to follow his stare.

Narcissa Malfoy stood at the end of the aisle, her face carefully blank as her blue eyes flitted between them.

Hermione tensed, feeling the judgement in the woman's roving stare, but she plastered a thin smile onto her lips all the same.

"Mother," Draco said, tilting his head with a disinterested cock of one brow.

With a crisp nod, Narcissa folded her hands across her front and approached. "Draco. Miss Granger." Her eyes darted down to where Hermione and Draco's hands were still interlocked. "This is a surprise."

Obviously the woman didn't read _Witch Weekly_ , as the periodical had been speculating about the three of them for months, but Hermione wasn't surprised. It wasn't exactly high brow literature.

"Missus Malfoy." Despite the tension radiating from Draco's entire countenance, she offered a nod in return. "I hope you're well."

Narcissa inclined her head gracefully, her eyes sliding once more to Draco, and she said, "I am, thank you. And you, I hope." She turned towards Draco. "And where is Mister Nott today?"

Draco slipped his hand from Hermione's, sliding his hands into his trouser pockets. "Theo needed to make a stop at Scribbulus'. He'll be joining us here shortly." His face darkened, jaw clenching. "If you don't want to see him, you'd best go now."

Although Hermione only knew one side of the situation, and not all that well―typically Draco refrained from talking about his mother―she could see the displeasure in the lines of his face.

But Narcissa didn't walk away, her eyes lingering on her son. Hermione shifted, the discomfort between all parties a tangible thing in the air until Narcissa asked, "And how long have the two of you been together?"

Smiling at Draco, Hermione said, "A few months now. And Theo, of course."

"Of course." The woman pursed her lips, a furrow knitting her brow, and for a moment she looked as though she meant to say something else when Theo slipped up behind them with a grin.

"Hello loves." He grazed a hand along Hermione's hip, opening his mouth to say something when he noticed Narcissa. His jaw clamped shut, all traces of warmth dropping off. "Narcissa. Isn't this pleasant."

It was the last word Hermione would have used for the altercation, when Draco still looked as though he might bolt from the shop at any moment.

Narcissa offered another stiff nod. "Theodore."

Hermione couldn't quite tell why she still lingered with the three of them, when the woman looked distinctly uncomfortable, but then a tight smile spread across her face and she lifted her chin. "Perhaps the three of you would care to join me for tea. Some day."

Theo's gaze caught on Hermione's for a moment, a muscle in his jaw feathering even as his eyes widened almost imperceptibly. Thinning her lips, she glanced to Draco, uncertain what to make of the situation.

But Draco continued to regard his mother with cautious eyes, before he clicked his tongue and shook his head. "I can't imagine why you would make an offer like that."

And while Hermione's initial impression of the woman had been standoffish and cold, Narcissa's face faltered. "You certainly don't need to. I only thought... it might be nice to catch up."

Following Theo's lead as he remained silent and trailed a hand along the small of her back, Hermione's focus drifted once more to Draco.

At last he sighed. "Fine. I suppose that might be nice."

"Very well." Narcissa nodded, fidgeting her hands, and for a brief instant, Hermione thought her discomfort might have been something akin to contrition. "I'll send an owl to arrange the details."

"Good," Draco clipped, his throat bobbing with a swallow. "That's good."

Releasing a shallow breath, Narcissa faced each of them in turn. "Enjoy your day, then." She turned to walk away, leaving the three of them in a somewhat stunned silence.

Theo pursed his lips, giving Draco a look. "That was fucking awkward. Do you suppose she means it?"

Hermione's entire context of the woman was based on what she had known of her as Draco's mother, and the few details he and Theo had shared with her during the time they'd been together. Still, she couldn't help but feel as though the offer had been genuine albeit stifled.

"Maybe." Draco eyed the end of the aisle where his mother had disappeared. He shook his head slowly. "I guess we'll see. But that's the most she's said to me in two years."

Flickering her brows, she mused, "Maybe she wants to make amends."

When Draco turned to her, his face bemused and eyes warming once more as the tension sank from his shoulders, he ducked in to press a kiss to her curls. "Maybe she does. If she _does_ owl, you'll both join me. Right?"

"Of course," Hermione breathed with a smile.

Theo simply cocked a brow and drawled, "I feel like you're offering this as a question but I don't think we'll have an option."

Draco elbowed him in the ribs. "Let's get some lunch."

* * *

Shouldering the door open, Theo slipped into Hermione's office. They'd converted one of the unused rooms in the flat earlier in the month when she had moved in so that she might have uninterrupted time to work on her projects. He juggled two mugs with a small plate of pastries into a small area left open on her desk and pulled up an extra chair alongside her.

Hermione looked up from her work with a smile. "Hi."

"I made scones." Theo took a sip of his own tea, peering at her parchment. "Thought you might like a tea break."

Her eyes sparkled as she selected a scone from the plate and broke it open, steam escaping from inside. "Thank you―though you certainly didn't need to bring me anything." Spooning a small scoop of cream onto the scone, she took a bite, her eyes fluttering shut for a moment.

A smile tugged at his own lips. "I just want to be sure you're happy here."

Hermione set down the scone onto her plate, ducking her chin to look at him. "I am, and it doesn't take fresh baking to ensure I'm happy."

"It helps," Theo offered, lifting a brow.

Her smile widened. "It certainly does." Pushing back from her desk, she turned fully towards him and took a sip of tea. "I'm happy here because the two people I love the most are here."

At her words, and the innate sentiment with them, Theo's heart clenched in his chest and he brushed a kiss against her lips. "Good." Skimming the nearest page of her work, he asked, "What's the project of the day?"

An apologetic smile curled her lips. "Your favourite. I haven't had much time to look at that map."

"Ah." Theo occupied himself with another sip from his own cup. "Neither have I, to be honest. I know we sort of... set it aside when we returned home from Masani. The idea of going after the kingdom."

She tilted her head back and forth in consideration as she snagged another bite of scone. "I still don't entirely know what I think about it."

"I read the report you published," Theo mentioned, "on the ruins. And I couldn't help but notice you didn't bring up the fact that a part of the _treasure_ was actually another hunt. You know you don't _need_ to spend your time on this."

"Neither do you," she returned quietly, then snagged her bottom lip within her teeth. "I know Draco would like to figure it out but _you_ least of all." She released a long sigh, offering another small smile. "I suppose I can't decide if it's really something we ought to pursue―and maybe that's why I left it out of the official report."

Theo chuckled, breaking off a chunk of her scone and popping it into his mouth. "You know if you decide to go after the kingdom I'll be there. And if you decide to leave it alone I'll support that, too. I'm easy."

A wide grin crossed her face and she nudged his leg with her own. "In more ways than one."

"It's true," he murmured with a wink, grazing a hand to her thigh. He leaned in to plant another kiss to her mouth. "And if you want to revisit the map, I'm happy to help with the runes."

Hermione drew him in closer, deepening the kiss, and Theo slid his palm up her leg. "I think," she mused against his mouth, "I haven't given it that much thought because―" A breath hitched in her throat as he slipped loose the closure on her jeans and grazed the soft fabric of her knickers.

"Because?" he asked, nudging her knickers aside.

Her eyelids fluttered. "Because maybe I brought the treasure home with me. And I don't mean the gold."

Theo drew back, rolling his eyes with a scoff. "Cheesy, Granger." A secretive smile curled her lips and he sighed. "But good one. I am inclined to agree with you."

As though on cue, Draco slipped into the room and leaned against the wall, folding his arms. "Except for the fact that she _gave away_ most of the treasure we did find."

Hermione released a breathy titter, shaking her head. "You're never going to let that one go, are you? It was a historical find; Artakai's treasure deserves to be recognised and studied." Scrunching the bridge of her nose, she added, "And as you said, _most_ of the treasure. We kept plenty of it for ourselves. More than we needed, honestly."

"Which is why you don't want to go after the kingdom," Draco surmised, rounding Theo's chair and kneading the tension from his shoulders.

"Realistically," Hermione said, sucking in a sharp breath when Theo grazed her clit, "do we honestly _want_ to put ourselves through all that again? Who knows what else Artakai's done to protect the kingdom."

Draco hummed, plucking open the top buttons of Theo's shirt and sliding his hands down his chest. "You know I don't truly care either way. I'm happy to ignore it."

Theo chuckled, sinking a little into Draco's enticing touch. "And this is why we haven't done anything about it in two months."

Although they _had_ more or less skirted around the topic ever since returning home from the Caribbean for the second time, Theo hadn't regretted a minute of it. His life felt better than it ever had, an innate sense of peace settling within him.

"Here's my take," he said quietly, teasing the skin of Hermione's inner thigh. "I'm happier than I've ever been. The apothecary is doing well. I have two people I love more than anything. I'm excited for where life is going to take us. And... maybe, for now, that's enough."

Her face softened into a smile that set his heart alight. Draco snickered and mussed his hair, though he ducked in and brushed a kiss to his temple.

"I think," Hermione breathed, "I like that plan."

Draco's gaze darted between them, his fingers sliding through Theo's hair. Quietly, he said, "Unanimous, then." He dropped a kiss to each of their lips before stepping back. "I could use a shag. Anyone care to join me?"

A slow grin spread across Theo's face at Hermione's bright burst of laughter.

* * *

Draco's eyes flitted across a letter from his mother for the eighth time since it had arrived. When they had come across one another in Flourish and Blotts the week before, Draco's initial impression had been wariness. That his mother had only invited them for tea to keep up pretense in public―or that she intended to grill him about Hermione.

But the letter spoke the words she hadn't that day. That she missed him, and that she hadn't treated him or Theo well.

As Hermione had suggested―that she wanted to make things right between them.

Idly, he wondered what had changed. But he couldn't deny the sting that still filled his heart when he thought of the way his mother had essentially cut him out of her life. And the hurt and longing for reconciliation.

Hermione sank down into the sofa beside him. "Everything alright? You've been staring at that letter for twenty minutes now."

Without a word, he handed the parchment over, watching her eyes skim the words with growing disbelief before she released a breath. "I see."

"What do you think?" he asked, unwilling to completely drop the cautious walls around his heart. "Genuine or not?"

Hermione offered a thin grimace. "I understand your reticence to believe her, Draco. I absolutely do. But maybe your mother is simply being honest here. She lost her husband to Azkaban, and by her own actions, she drove away her only son. Maybe... she's hoping to reconnect." She threaded their fingers together, tugging his hand into her lap. "I can't imagine it's an easy decision for you."

"No," Draco mused quietly, "it isn't. But she's still my mother." Dragging a hand through his hair, he turned to face her. "If we're going to meet with her, I should warn you she will most likely have questions. Specifically for you."

Although her brows flickered briefly in surprise, her face didn't falter. "I can only imagine what sort."

Draco grimaced. "Right. Theo and I have never been as serious about another as we are about you and obviously my mother's never cared to meet anyone else anyway. There are... certain circumstances that prevent this from _fitting_ into society."

Hermione ducked her chin and released a breath.

The three of them had loosely touched on some of the deeper issues, but had generally avoided delving too far into anything while they'd still been adjusting to the new arrangement.

"Like the fact that you don't intend to marry," she said lowly.

"Right."

" _Which_ ," she went on, "I've looked into a little, and I don't think it's technically illegitimate in any sense within the wizarding world."

Draco's brows shot up. "Why am I not surprised you've looked into that."

Her lips curled upwards. "And I can only imagine you're also referring to the matter of _heirs_." Although uneasiness crept into the pit of his stomach at the subject, especially when she had only been involved with him and Theo for a few months, she didn't readily balk. "No matter how unconventional this might be, I _do_ understand how things are in pureblood circles."

Gazing at their clasped hands, Draco brushed her knuckles with his thumb. "I want to make something very clear, and that is that you aren't _obligated_ to do anything you don't want to. Theo and I would never want to pressure you like that." Theo drifted into the room, eyeing them both surreptitiously, and Draco nodded towards the adjacent chair. The blood drained from his face when Draco said, "We're just casually discussing children."

"Casual," Theo echoed, brows high on his forehead.

"His mother owled us for tea," Hermione offered, and comprehension flickered across Theo's face before settling into a grimace.

Draco ground his jaw. "And I told Hermione that you and I don't care about _tradition_."

"Not at all," Theo said, sinking back into his seat. He lifted his hands, as if to indicate the entire situation. "I mean, look at us."

A nervous titter slipped from Hermione's lips, breaking the tension that had settled among the three of them. "Regardless," she said, "I recognise that it's a conversation we ought to have. Probably sooner than later. Obviously I'm quite focused on my work at the moment, but I always thought I'd like to have children... one day."

Draco caught the warmth in Theo's eye for a moment, a soft fluttering in his chest. "It's a conversation Theo and I have had in the past, and without knowing if we would have a female third interested in something long-term, we thought we might end up adopting or considering a surrogate."

Relief flickered across Hermione's face at the acknowledgement that they were all on the same page.

"Well," she said softly, "while those are excellent ideas too, I'm not opposed to however the situation looks with regard to blood heirs."

He caught the words between the lines―that she would be willing to carry a child for each of them if they were all so inclined.

"It certainly isn't something we need to worry about at the moment," Theo said with a bit of an uneasy chuckle, "but it's good to know that this isn't going to be an issue one day in the future."

" _Apparently_ ," Draco drawled, "Granger's also looked into the wizarding legal circumstances around marriage."

A gentle smile curved her lips. 

"Merlin," Theo huffed, dragging a hand through his hair, "this is quite the casual conversation I walked in on." But his lips twitched with humour all the same. "At any rate―as you both know, I'm happy to pursue anything that comes of this. And Draco, if Narcissa wants to meet us for tea... I mean, it's already bollocks between you two so what harm can it do?"

Swallowing around a great lump that had accumulated in his throat, he offered a smirk. "What harm indeed."

* * *

As it turned out, Narcissa had many questions, and Hermione was glad the three of them had prepared for the difficult discussions in advance. Draco had sat, tense at her side, inordinately fidgety throughout.

And while he often claimed his mother had no interest in being a part of his life, Hermione thought the woman's regret shone through the small details she didn't necessarily voice. The way she had inquired with Theo as to the wellbeing of the apothecary, and how she had been interested to learn about Hermione's research.

Not least of all the way her blue eyes had lingered on Draco for most of the meeting. How elves had steadily Apparated in with fresh tea and platters of finger sandwiches and h'ors doeuvres. And the way Narcissa's fingers had trembled around her own cup of tea.

As the three of them rose to depart after a surprisingly genial conversation, Narcissa had offered them a smile. "This was... nice. I hope we can do this again sometime soon."

The woman, who Hermione had always taken for intimidating and a little overwhelming, looked small next to Draco and Theo even despite her imposing height.

"Of course," Theo said with a gentle nod. "Thanks for the tea."

Hermione could have sworn Narcissa's eyes shone when she laid a hand on Theo's shoulder, then brushed a soft kiss to each of Hermione's cheeks.

But moisture had stung at Hermione’s eyes when Draco pulled his mother aside before departing, the pair of them speaking in low voices, and he pulled his mother into a tight embrace.

Watching on, Theo's mouth tightened as he pulled Hermione into his side, planting a kiss to her temple. Neither of them mentioned the way Draco's eyes were a little red as they left the Manor, or how Narcissa dabbed at her own eyes with a handkerchief.

Hermione's heart felt almost uncomfortably tight at the palpable relief on Draco's face when the three of them Floo'd back home, and he drew both her and Theo tight into his chest.

Pressing up on her toes, Hermione breathed into his ear, "I'm so proud of you."

Draco's throat shifted with a swallow, face raw with emotion, when he gazed at each of them in turn. "Thanks for coming," he said, the words a little gruff as he blew out a breath. "You both mean everything to me."

"You know we’re always right here, no matter what," Theo said quietly, tugging Draco's hand into his own.

"I know." A wry smirk lifted his lips as he shifted Theo back against the wall, ducking in to trail a line of kisses along his stubbled jaw. "And _you know_ how much I appreciate it."

Theo's eyes flashed with mischief as he gave Hermione a grin. "Do I?"

"Merlin, you two," she snickered, even as warmth flared within her, heating the blood in her veins with anticipation. "Can't hardly ever make it to the bedroom."

Draco froze, one hand planted to the wall beside Theo's face, and his eyes darted to her, silver and searing. "That's a good idea." Then before she could make sense of the look on his face, he wrapped his arms around her middle and hauled her down the corridor.

A burst of surprised laughter fell from her mouth when he tossed her into the plush bedding. For a long moment, Draco stared at her with a lazy perusal as though he couldn't quite decide what to do with her. Desire coiled within her like a spring, and she bit down on her lower lip as she gazed up at him.

Until Theo walked up alongside him, toying with the collar of Draco's shirt as they both stared at her.

Tension fluttered across the surface of her skin until she didn't know whether she could handle it. " _What?"_

"I'm just thinking," Draco said at last, "about what we should do today."

With a sharp movement, he tugged Theo's back flush against his chest, peering at Hermione over Theo's shoulder as he drew the shirttails free of his trousers and loosened his belt.

Theo's hand crawled up the back of Draco's neck and into his hair, wrenching hard on his pale locks and eliciting a groan from Draco's lips. 

Heat and desire swelled within her as Hermione watched them and she shrugged out of her jumper, tugging her skirt down her hips. Two pairs of eyes lingered on her movements. Draco loosened the buttons of Theo's shirt, pulling the fabric free. When Theo's eyes briefly fluttered shut as Draco's hand slipped into his shorts, Hermione's mouth went dry with a sharp intake of breath as moisture pooled between her legs.

Theo turned, dragging Draco into a searing kiss and making quick work of the clothes that remained between them. He muttered something in Draco's ear that caused a wicked grin to spread across both of their faces.

Draco ducked in, biting onto the muscle of Theo's shoulder as he pumped him several times in his palm. His other hand rounded the swell of Theo's arse with a teasing caress.

When Theo caught Hermione's eye, his eyes heavily lidded, he drawled, "Why are you still wearing clothes, Granger?"

"I've decided," Draco murmured beside Theo's ear, "I want you to fuck Hermione. But with your tongue first, please. And I'm going to fuck you."

Merlin, they were a pair of gorgeous specimens. Theo's hazel eyes lingered on her with a wink. "Don't have to ask me twice."

Arching from the bed, Hermione released the clasp of her bra and Theo slipped the fabric down her arms as he joined her in bed, drawing her into a languorous, sensual kiss. A heavy exhale fell from her lips as he charted a course down her chest with his mouth and hands, down her stomach, and he threw her knickers to the floor.

Then he dove in, laving her folds with his tongue before sucking her clit between his lips, fingers sliding into her over and again in a steady, driving rhythm. A quiet series of expletives tumbled from her mouth as Theo rapidly edged her towards her climax, and Draco's heated stare on her was enough for her to come completely undone beneath Theo's skilled touches. With a cry of his name, shudders wracking her body, a toe-curling orgasm swept through her every nerve.

As her heart rate began to slow, Theo pressed a kiss to the inside of her thigh; moments later his thick, firm erection pushed inside of her.

His eyes caught hers, a sparkle in their depths, before he began to move.

Hermione pulled his mouth to hers, tasting her own fluids on his tongue, as he eased into her in a tentative, teasing pace. Swallowing thickly, Hermione curled her legs around his hip, urging him deeper.

Theo froze, eyes sliding open to meet hers when Draco approached from behind, preparing him with a quiet lubrication spell. When Theo's eyes rolled a little, she swept a hand through his hair, and his sharp exhale fell against her lips.

Carefully at first as he adjusted, Theo began to move again between them, and Hermione swallowed the jumbled groan that broke from his mouth as she pulled him into another kiss.

And as he picked up speed, slamming into her with each thrust, Hermione lost all sense of everything else as her release once more swelled and built within her. In the brief instant before she saw both darkness and light, she caught the shimmer of Draco's eyes. Her walls fluttered, clenching around Theo as she came, and he let a moan out into her skin as he and Draco each stilled moments later.

Utterly spent, Hermione rolled onto her side when he withdrew, and the three of them collapsed into a heap of sated limbs and exhaustion. A cool wash of magic drifted across her; Theo shifted closer with a lingering kiss to her lips, and Draco tucked into her other side. Within their secure arms, Hermione felt herself succumb to the pull of sleep.

"Love you," she whispered into the air between them, and when they both responded quiet affirmations, a smile lifted her lips.

Never before had she loved so deeply, and been so loved in return. The true treasure in her life.

Discovered on a little island beneath the searing sun, within a lush forest and stony, overgrown ruins.

* * *

**_Two Years Later_ **

"Have you got the map?"

Hermione froze, her eyes growing almost comically large as she looked straight at him. Theo watched her eyes dart towards her bag and she offered him an uneasy grin.

"I haven't, actually," she admitted.

Pursing his lips, Theo shook his head and peered into the endless abyss of her pack. "I don't see it. Maybe you misplaced it." Although she scowled at him, she didn't instantly retort, and Theo smirked. "See―you aren't even certain."

"Honestly, you two." Draco paced into the sitting room, drawing out his words with irritation. "It's a wonder anything fucking gets done around here." He brandished a thin book of parchment between two fingers, rolling his eyes. Theo carefully extracted the booklet from his grasp and slipped it between two sturdy tomes in Hermione's bag.

"I disagree," Hermione grumbled, though there wasn't any ire in the words. "Theo and I are plenty organised―usually."

"Usually," Theo agreed. "Except for in this case, apparently. Because it isn't important enough that we don't depart England _without_ the bloody map of where we're going."

The _map_ ―as they still affectionately called it―was more like an intense translation of numerous pages of runes that had taken the better part of two years. Although none of them had spent any consistent length of time working on it aside from isolated individual stretches, leaving the idea of Artakai's kingdom to languish, eventually they decided to take another look when _Draco_ started studying the runes.

Hermione's cheeks flushed, an adorable wrinkle lifting into the bridge of her nose. "You know I prefer you gang up on me elsewhere."

A bark of laughter escaped Theo's mouth and he flashed Draco a grin. The blond snickered, amusement crinkling his eyes as he swept a hand through his hair. "And you know we're happy to oblige."

She cast each of them a look, and Theo grew warm at the hint of something in her eye. But she only shook her head. "We have everything we need, according to the list."

"Which we've quadruple-checked," Draco offered.

Even so, Hermione released a long breath. "Narcissa wasn't thrilled about rescheduling our appointment at Twilfitt and Tattings. I had to make something up to appease her because I didn't think it was a good idea to mention we decided to go on a treasure hunt only two months before the wedding."

"She'll be fine," Draco clipped. "She can't be any more scandalised than she was when we told her we didn't want to make a big deal of the wedding. Honestly, she's lucky we even invited her, but she's been nothing but supportive for a while now."

Theo chuckled, shaking his head. "Worst case scenario we postpone."

"You know Pansy would have our heads," Hermione tittered. "And Harry would never hear the end of it from her."

Although Theo hadn't given much thought to _marriage_ ―he had always believed it wasn't in the cards for the three of them, and if it had ended up just him and Draco, the blond had never overtly brought it up―Hermione had eventually mentioned it. The discussion had been casual―innocuous even―but Draco and Theo had discussed it after the fact and decided to look further into the matter.

And despite the often archaic practices in the Wizengamot, Theo wasn't surprised to learn that if anyone could convince the court to redefine the terms around polyamorous marriage in the wizarding world, it would be Hermione Granger.

Still, none of them had cared for the idea of a large wedding―and if it were up to Draco they would have already signed the papers with Pansy and Potter as witnesses. Theo didn't care either way, as he had no immediate family to invite anyway, but he was happy they didn't have to do much by way of preparation.

Hermione's concession to Narcissa's desires for a large wedding was that the pair of them go shopping for a wedding gown together as Hermione's own mother didn't remember her. And then Pansy had talked her way into the appointment as well. Theo didn't envy her.

"That may be so," Draco announced, "but it isn't _Pansy's_ call. And if we're stranded in the middle of nowhere hunting some treasure, that's our prerogative." He snorted, shaking his head, and added, "Pansy can plan her own damn wedding. Potter's smitten enough that I doubt it'll be that long."

Blowing out a breath, Hermione turned to face them, slipping a hand into each of theirs. "Are we sure we want to do this? After how everything went the last time?"

Theo could feel her stare lingering on him. He had initially been the least interested in going after Artakai's kingdom, even though he and Hermione had split the bulk of the work in translating the runes in order to locate the kingdom itself. Theo hadn't been surprised to learn the kingdom didn't originate anywhere near the Caribbean―especially after learning the heart of the ruins led to a portal somewhere completely different.

But the kingdom was, in fact, deep within the countryside in eastern Europe.

Draco had been insistent for a long while that the ruins had been buried on Masani to throw any would-be adventurers off the track towards the true treasure. And in the end, he had been right.

Blowing out a breath, Theo nodded. "I wouldn't have agreed to this if I honestly didn't want to go―I swear it. I don't think the plan is without its risks, especially after everything that happened on Masani, but we're more prepared than we were two years ago."

And it was true. They had brewed several batches of the potion to withstand Artakai's protective magic, they each had brooms in the event they couldn't use magic and needed to escape, and they'd studied the runes and the subsequent map that came of them more times than Theo could count.

Scruffing Theo's hair, Draco flashed him a grin. "We'll make an adventurer of you yet."

"As if the two of you don't have me on my toes plenty well as it is," Theo scoffed, flinching out of Draco's hold and fixing his hair. "Keeping up with both of you is enough of an adventure."

Hermione's lips curled into a warm smile and she gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. "Our Portkey is set to go in a few minutes."

Theo wasn't entirely ready to embark on another treasure hunt―but he hadn't been ready for most of the wild curves life had thrown in his path. And this was simply another one.

He caught each of their stares―melted chocolate in Hermione's, and molten quicksilver in Draco's―and a smile formed, unbidden, on Theo's lips. Something told him that life from now on would be one adventure into the next, and this was only one along the road. Marrying the two people he loved most in the world would be another.

And he couldn't wait to find himself lost along the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading this little adventure. I hope you enjoyed the story - I had a lot of fun writing it.  
> Special thanks to curly_kay and ravenslight for helping me put this one together xo


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